An American man accused of masterminding a US$165 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme has been deported from Fiji to the United States to face federal fraud and money laundering charges.
Edward Zimbardi, 59, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was deported on 14 August 2026 after Fijian authorities were alerted to the charges against him, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Zimbardi is accused of operating a scheme known as “The Crypto Program” between June 2022 and August 2023, allegedly convincing thousands of investors to put money into advertising packages with a promised 25 percent monthly return.
Prosecutors allege investors were instructed to transfer cryptocurrency into digital wallets secretly controlled by Zimbardi.
Together, thousands of investors allegedly transferred more than US$165 million into those wallets.
Instead of using the money to purchase advertising packages, prosecutors allege Zimbardi lost more than US$34 million through risky foreign currency trading.
He is also accused of using money from new investors to pay earlier investors in an effort to keep the scheme operating.
Prosecutors further allege that Zimbardi spent at least US$10 million on personal expenses, including a house for his son, luxury vehicles and alimony payments to his former wife.
The scheme collapsed in August 2023, with investors losing their funds.
According to U.S authorities, Zimbardi subsequently travelled to Hawaii, Fiji and other locations before fleeing to Fiji in July 2025 after learning of the FBI investigation.
He remained in Fiji for more than a year.
Authorities said Zimbardi cancelled plans to attend his son’s wedding in Virginia in May 2026 after suspecting FBI agents would try to arrest him there.
Following coordination between Fijian authorities, the FBI and the U.S Department of State, Zimbardi was deported to the United States on 14 August.
He is due to appear before a federal magistrate judge in Los Angeles, California, with the U.S Government expected to seek his detention pending further proceedings in the Northern District of Georgia.
Zimbardi was indicted on 08 July 2026 on 12 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said Zimbardi allegedly deceived thousands of people with promises of large returns before using their money for risky investments and personal expenses.
“Zimbardi allegedly tricked thousands of people to invest in his ‘Crypto Program’ with false promises of enormous returns. Instead, he spent the money on risky currency trades, payments to early investors, and treating himself to a house and expensive vehicles,” Hertzberg said.
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham said Zimbardi allegedly fled thousands of miles to the South Pacific after the scheme collapsed.
“Scammers are trying everything they can to defraud people out of their hard-earned money, but the FBI is doing everything we can to make sure they don’t succeed, no matter where they hide,” Graham said.
The case involved cooperation from several agencies in Fiji and the United States, including the Fiji Ministry of Immigration, Fiji Police Force, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Suva, the FBI, U.S Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
People who invested in The Crypto Program have been encouraged to provide information to the FBI as authorities continue their investigation and prepare for further proceedings, including potential restitution.
The U.S Attorney’s Office stressed that the indictment contains allegations only. Zimbardi is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
