{
  "id": 1707152,
  "title": "Georgia man deported from Fiji to face $165m crypto Ponzi scheme charges",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/georgia-man-deported-from-fiji-to-face-165m-crypto-ponzi-scheme",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-18T12:05:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/georgia-man-ponzi-scheme-deported-fiji"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Edward Zimbardi, a 59-year-old man from Flowery Branch, Georgia, has been deported from Fiji to face charges in the US. He is accused of running a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 6,000 investors and caused more than $165m in losses, according to the US attorney in Atlanta.\n\nZimbardi was indicted on multiple counts, including 12 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering, and one count of money-laundering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that he collected cryptocurrency from thousands of investors, lost over $34 million on currency trades, and spent at least $10 million personally, as reported by Cointelegraph.\n\nZimbardi will appear in court in Los Angeles, with prosecutors seeking his detention pending proceedings in Georgia. The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said that Fijian authorities deported Zimbardi in coordination with the FBI and State Department.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Georgia man charged in US with running US$165 million crypto Ponzi scheme",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/georgia-man-charged-in-us-with-running-us-165-million-crypto-ponzi",
        "published": "2026-08-17T22:51:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Cointelegraph",
        "title": "Alleged $165M crypto Ponzi mastermind faces US charges after Fiji deportation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/alleged-165m-crypto-ponzi-mastermind-faces-us-charges-after-fiji",
        "published": "2026-08-18T03:21:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Block",
        "title": "‘The Crypto Program’ promoter deported from Fiji over alleged $165 million Ponzi scheme",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/the-crypto-program-promoter-deported-from-fiji-over-alleged-165",
        "published": "2026-08-18T10:49:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}