Edward Zimbardi has been returned to the United States after being deported from Fiji, bringing the alleged mastermind of a $165 million cryptocurrency investment scheme within reach of federal prosecutors. A federal grand jury in Georgia indicted him on July 8 on 12 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors allege that The Crypto Program sold advertising packages promising guaranteed monthly returns of 25% and collected more than $165 million in cryptocurrency from thousands of investors. More than $34 million was allegedly directed into high-risk foreign-currency trading, while at least $10 million was spent on personal expenses. Prosecutors say payments to earlier participants came from newer investors, forming the basis of a Ponzi scheme allegation. Zimbardi allegedly fled to Fiji in July 2025 after learning of the FBI investigation and was deported to the US on Aug. 14, 2026, in coordination with the FBI and State Department. He was scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge in Los Angeles on Aug. 17, with prosecutors seeking his detention pending further proceedings; the Justice Department had not disclosed the hearing's outcome.