{"investigation":{"slug":"edward-zimbardi","entity_name":"Edward Zimbardi","trust_score":2,"severity_base":null,"score_modifier":0,"confidence":0.9,"status":"draft","content_type":"investigation","summary":"Edward Zimbardi is a Flowery Branch, Georgia individual who allegedly operated \"The Crypto Program,\" a cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme that raised more than $165 million from thousands of investors worldwide between June 2022 and August 2023 by promising a fixed 25% monthly return on \"digital advertising packages.\" He is the subject of a federal criminal indictment (wire fraud, money laundering, and money laundering conspiracy), prior state securities enforcement actions in California and Georgia, and at least one civil lawsuit from an alleged victim. He fled to Fiji in 2025 and was deported to the United States in August 2026 to face prosecution.","sections":[{"content":"On July 8, 2026, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Edward Zimbardi, 59, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, on twelve counts of wire fraud, twelve counts of money laundering (reported elsewhere as eleven counts of transactional money laundering), and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that between June 2022 and August 2023, Zimbardi created and promoted \"The Crypto Program,\" marketed through online videos and websites as an opportunity to purchase digital advertising packages carrying a guaranteed 25% monthly return. Investors were allegedly directed to send cryptocurrency into wallets that Zimbardi secretly controlled without disclosing his ownership. More than 6,000 investors are alleged to have sent over $165 million into these wallets. Rather than purchasing advertising, Zimbardi allegedly placed at least $34 million into speculative foreign-currency trades that produced substantial losses, and used funds from newer investors to pay earlier investors, described by prosecutors as the hallmark of a Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors further allege Zimbardi spent at least $10 million of investor funds on personal expenses, including a house for his son, luxury vehicles, and alimony payments. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated that \"when his scam imploded, he allegedly tried to evade federal prosecution by fleeing to the other side of the world.\" The case has been investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. State Department, the SEC, the CFTC, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, and the Georgia Secretary of State's Securities Division; as of the most recent reporting, no separate civil enforcement action by the SEC or CFTC had been identified.","heading":"Federal Criminal Indictment — Wire Fraud and Money Laundering","sources":[{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges","name":"DOJ, Northern District of Georgia — Alleged Mastermind of $165 Million Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Facing Federal Charges after Deportation from Fiji","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/georgia-man-faces-charges-over-alleged-165m-crypto-scam/","name":"AJC — Feds say he ran a $165M crypto scam and fled to Fiji. He's back and facing charges.","type":"news_article","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-08-18-the-crypto-program-promoter-deported-from-fiji-over-alleged-165-million-ponzi-scheme-412083","name":"The Block — 'The Crypto Program' promoter deported from Fiji over alleged $165 million Ponzi scheme","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/flowery-branch-man-accused-of-running-165-million-crypto-ponzi-scheme-deported-from-fiji/","name":"CBS Atlanta — Flowery Branch man accused of running $165 million crypto Ponzi scheme deported from Fiji","type":"news_article","credibility":1}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"According to the DOJ, after The Crypto Program collapsed in August 2023 and investors lost their money, Zimbardi traveled through Hawaii, Fiji, and other locations. In July 2025, after allegedly becoming aware of the FBI investigation, he fled to Fiji and remained there for over a year. On August 14, 2026, Fijian authorities, after learning of the U.S. charges, deported Zimbardi to the United States in coordination with the FBI and the U.S. Department of State. The OCCRP separately reported on the Fiji-to-U.S. handover of a man suspected of operating Ponzi-style crypto investment schemes.","heading":"Flight to Fiji and Deportation","sources":[{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges","name":"DOJ, Northern District of Georgia — Alleged Mastermind of $165 Million Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Facing Federal Charges after Deportation from Fiji","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/fiji-hands-over-a-man-suspected-of-ponzi-style-crypto-investment-schemes-to-us","name":"OCCRP — Fiji Hands Over a Man Suspected of Ponzi-style Crypto Investment Schemes to US","type":"news_article","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/alleged-165m-crypto-ponzi-mastermind-113104545.html","name":"Yahoo News — Alleged $165M Crypto Ponzi Mastermind Deported From Fiji to US","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) issued a desist-and-refrain order dated June 28, 2023 against CryptoProgram (also known as CryptoProgram.me / Crypto Program) and \"Master Affiliate\" Edward Anthony Zimbardi, alleging the $550 investment packages sold were unregistered securities sold as part of a Ponzi scheme. DFPI alleged that although Zimbardi told investors funds would only be used to purchase online advertising and not risky trading, investor money was in fact secretly diverted to an offshore forex broker. This order predates the federal indictment by roughly three years and represents an early public regulatory warning about Zimbardi's operation.","heading":"California Securities Regulator — 2023 Desist and Refrain Order","sources":[{"url":"https://dfpi.ca.gov/enf-c/cryptoprogram/","name":"California DFPI — CryptoProgram aka CryptoProgram.me aka Crypto Program enforcement page","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://behindmlm.com/companies/cryptoprogram-securities-fraud-dr-from-california/","name":"BehindMLM — CryptoProgram securities fraud D&R from California","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"The Securities Division of the Georgia Secretary of State's Office issued an emergency order dated February 19, 2026 against Edward Zimbardi, IMG, and CryptoProgram.Me, imposing a $500,000 civil penalty against each of the three (a combined $1.5 million), and barring Zimbardi from acting as a broker or investment adviser in Georgia. The order alleges that since at least 2021 Zimbardi promoted illegal, unregistered investment schemes, first through an entity called IMG involving purported profit-splitting with forex traders, and after that scheme collapsed, through CryptoProgram, described by regulators as an unregistered investment-contract pyramid scheme. The order and related coverage also reference other names/aliases associated with Zimbardi's ventures, including Amsys, AdMediaSpend, MacrogroupX, Forex 50/50 PAMM, and IMGFX, though independent verification of each alias was limited to secondary reporting.","heading":"Georgia Securities Division — 2026 Civil Penalty and Bar Order","sources":[{"url":"https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2026-02/zimbardi_emergency_order_2.19.2026.pdf","name":"Georgia Secretary of State — Edward Zimbardi, IMG, and Cryptoprogram.Me Emergency Order (Feb. 19, 2026)","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://hoodline.com/2026/02/atlanta-crypto-pitchman-vanishes-as-georgia-slaps-him-with-1-5-million-fraud-order/","name":"Hoodline — Atlanta Crypto Pitchman Vanishes as Georgia Slaps Him With $1.5 Million Fraud Order","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://behindmlm.com/companies/ed-zimbardi-fined-500k-by-georgia/","name":"BehindMLM — Ed Zimbardi fined $500K by Georgia","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"At least one alleged CryptoProgram investor filed a civil lawsuit against Ed Zimbardi over losses tied to the scheme, according to industry watchdog site BehindMLM, which covers multi-level-marketing and investment-scheme litigation. Separately, an AJC report identified an alleged Canadian victim, LeeAnn Harper, who reported losing approximately $263,000 in the scheme. Because full case-filing details for the civil suit were not independently retrieved, this section should be treated as lower-confidence pending direct court-record verification.","heading":"Civil Lawsuit from Alleged Victim","sources":[{"url":"https://behindmlm.com/companies/cryptoprogram-ponzi-investor-sues-ed-zimbardi/","name":"BehindMLM — CryptoProgram Ponzi investor sues Ed Zimbardi","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/georgia-man-faces-charges-over-alleged-165m-crypto-scam/","name":"AJC — Feds say he ran a $165M crypto scam and fled to Fiji. He's back and facing charges.","type":"news_article","credibility":1}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"Secondary reporting states that Zimbardi has a prior 1997 felony theft conviction for which he allegedly served 17 months in prison, cited in connection with the California DFPI's 2023 order. This detail was found only in a lower-tier secondary source and could not be independently corroborated against a primary court record in this investigation; it is flagged as a low-confidence, unverified claim pending direct confirmation from a court record or the DFPI order text itself.","heading":"Alleged Prior Criminal History","sources":[{"url":"https://cryip.co/zimbardi-deported-fiji-indicted-us-crypto-ponzi-scheme/","name":"CryIP — Zimbardi Deported From Fiji and Indicted in the U.S. After Three Years of Regulatory Warnings","type":"news_article","credibility":3}],"severity":"low"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2021","event":"Zimbardi allegedly began promoting illegal, unregistered investment schemes, first through an entity called IMG, according to the Georgia Securities Division.","source":"Georgia Secretary of State emergency order","source_url":"https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2026-02/zimbardi_emergency_order_2.19.2026.pdf"},{"date":"2022-06","event":"Zimbardi allegedly began operating \"The Crypto Program,\" promoted as digital advertising packages guaranteeing a 25% monthly return.","source":"DOJ press release","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges"},{"date":"2023-06-28","event":"California DFPI issued a desist-and-refrain order against CryptoProgram and Edward Zimbardi, alleging unregistered securities sales as part of a Ponzi scheme.","source":"California DFPI enforcement page","source_url":"https://dfpi.ca.gov/enf-c/cryptoprogram/","date_evidence":"desist-and-refrain order dated June 28, 2023 against CryptoProgram... and 'Master Affiliate' Edward Anthony Zimbardi"},{"date":"2023-08","event":"The Crypto Program collapsed; investors were left unable to recover their funds.","source":"DOJ press release / The Block","source_url":"https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-08-18-the-crypto-program-promoter-deported-from-fiji-over-alleged-165-million-ponzi-scheme-412083"},{"date":"2025-07","event":"Zimbardi allegedly became aware of the FBI investigation and fled to Fiji, where he remained for over a year.","source":"DOJ press release","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges"},{"date":"2026-02-19","event":"Georgia Securities Division issued an emergency order fining Zimbardi, IMG, and CryptoProgram.Me $500,000 each and barring Zimbardi from acting as a broker or investment adviser in the state.","source":"Georgia Secretary of State emergency order","source_url":"https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2026-02/zimbardi_emergency_order_2.19.2026.pdf","date_evidence":"emergency order dated 2.19.2026"},{"date":"2026-07-08","event":"Federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Zimbardi on 12 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of money laundering conspiracy.","source":"DOJ press release","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges","date_evidence":"On July 8, 2026, Edward Zimbardi, 59, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was charged in a federal indictment"},{"date":"2026-08-14","event":"Fijian authorities deported Zimbardi to the United States in coordination with the FBI and U.S. Department of State.","source":"DOJ press release","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges","date_evidence":"On August 14, 2026, after Fijian authorities learned of the charges against Zimbardi, they deported Zimbardi to the United States"}],"sources_used":[{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges","name":"DOJ, Northern District of Georgia — Alleged Mastermind of $165 Million Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Facing Federal Charges after Deportation from Fiji","type":"regulatory","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260903124419/https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/alleged-mastermind-165-million-cryptocurrency-ponzi-scheme-facing-federal-charges","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-09-03T12:44:19+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/georgia-man-faces-charges-over-alleged-165m-crypto-scam/","name":"AJC — Feds say he ran a $165M crypto scam and fled to Fiji. 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