Man deported from Fiji over alleged $165M crypto Ponzi scheme

Edward Zimbardi, a Georgia man accused of orchestrating a $165 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, was deported from Fiji to the United States last week to face federal charges. Zimbardi, 59, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, arrived in Los Angeles on August 14 after Fijian authorities acted on a U.S. request. He was scheduled to make an initial court appearance in Los Angeles federal court on August 17 before the case proceeds in Georgia. Prosecutors plan to seek his detention pending trial.

The charges stem from an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia on July 8, 2026. Zimbardi faces 25 federal counts: 12 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment alleges that between June 2022 and August 2023, Zimbardi created and promoted an investment operation called "The Crypto Program." Through videos and websites, he allegedly promised investors guaranteed monthly returns of 25 percent on purchases of purported digital advertising packages. Participants were instructed to send cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by Zimbardi.

According to prosecutors, thousands of...