DOJ Charges Few and Far Founder Taj Tarsha in Securities and Wire Fraud Case

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Taj Tarsha, founder of NFT marketplace project Few and Far, with securities fraud and wire fraud, accusing him of hiding how investor funds were used and diverting financing proceeds to personal spending. According to ChainCatcher, prosecutors said Tarsha began raising money in 2022 through SAFTs to develop a decentralized NFT marketplace and the FAR token ecosystem.Prosecutors allege Tarsha sold rights tied to about 95 million FAR tokens and raised more than $10 million from at least 67 investors. The indictment says he then used investor funds for online gambling, high-risk crypto purchases, Miami apartment mortgage payments, interior design expenses, and DJ activities.The filing also alleges Tarsha misappropriated nearly $1 million in company funds through two bonus payments that were not disclosed to investors or a co-founder, as well as through elevated compensation. After an audit flagged the funds, he allegedly gave investors false explanations and said the spending was consistent with the project’s development needs.