Florida monetary advisor Todd Burkhalter pleads responsible to 380M Ponzi scheme in Georgia largest scheme

A monetary group chief govt is accused of operating the biggest Ponzi scheme in Georgia’s historical past to fund a high-end way of life, which included buying a yacht, a multimillion-dollar apartment in Mexico, luxurious automobiles, jewellery, and chartering non-public jets.

Todd Burkhalter, the CEO of Drive Planning LLC., pleaded responsible to defrauding over 2,000 victims for greater than $380 million between September 2020 and June 2024, US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said Wednesday.

“Unbelievably, Burkhalter shamelessly continued to scam his victims even while under federal investigation,” Hertzberg stated. “Today’s guilty plea is just the first step in holding Burkhalter accountable for the considerable harm he caused.”

The 54-year-old Florida native used the corporate — based mostly in Alpharetta, Ga. — to focus on a number of funding alternatives, together with the “Real Estate Acceleration Loan” alternative (“REAL”) and the “Cash Out Real Estate Fund” (“CORE Fund”).

Burkhalter instructed potential buyers that it was “easy and simple” to spend money on the funds and inspired them to make use of cash from retirement and financial savings accounts.

Burkhalter used the REAL as Drive Planning’s main funding car and “fraudulently marketed as a bridge loan” that assured buyers a ten% return each three months.

Throughout the rip-off, Burkhalter profited off buyers and mortgage funds to make private purchases to gas his luxurious way of life.

He deceived buyers by claiming the corporate was totally collateralized by actual property, and backed the lies by creating bogus “collateral sheets” that recognized the properties, a few of which by no means existed.

Burkhalter additionally exaggerated his relationship with distinguished actual property builders round Georgia, falsely claiming the investments have been secured by properties within the developer’s portfolio.

The deceitful firm falsely claimed it supplied “100% Passive Income from Tax Liens” from the CORE Fund and assured buyers a return of 10% each six months or a 22% return per 12 months for as much as three years.

The firm acquired a minimum of $4.1 million from buyers within the CORE Fund.

Prosecutors discovered Burkhalter’s deceptions started from the inception of Drive Planning, the place he used the primary $50,000 from REAL to repay an early investor’s $21,000 in 2020.

Burkhalter used the cash he scammed from buyers to make lavish private purchases, together with a $2 million yacht, $2.1 million luxurious apartment in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and $800,000 spent on a number of luxurious automobiles that included a 2020 Prevost Marathon motorcoach and two 2024 Land Rovers.

Burkhalter additionally spent tens of millions on luxurious journey, chartering non-public jets and $320,000 on clothes, jewellery and wonder therapies.

Burkhalter’s rip-off even made it to the Big Leagues, infiltrating the prized sponsorship space behind dwelling plate of Tropicana Field, the house of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays.

The fraudster paid the workforce $400,000 to market Drive Planning LLC contained in the ballpark.

In June 2024, Burkhalter snapped a photograph from a broadcast of the Rays recreation in opposition to the Chicago Cubs displaying the brilliant orange adverts behind the batter.

“Keep more, make more and live more,” the Drive Planning commercial learn.

The Rays have been pressured to return half the cash as a part of a court docket settlement, in accordance with ABC Tampa Bay 28.

He would later use a minimum of $80,000 in investor funds to repay his ex-wife’s attorneys and leisure car bills.

The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into the conman’s firm in March 2024, however Burkhalter continued taking in tens of tens of millions of {dollars} by the scheme till September that 12 months.

Prosecutors are in search of a 17½-year jail sentence for Burkhalter as a part of his plea deal.

A sentencing listening to hasn’t been scheduled.

Drive Planning’s former chief working officer, David Bradford, pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on December 16, 2025. His sentencing is scheduled for March 17.