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<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d52778bb94b2879e7ff1c904971aeaa6 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#190303;font-size:14px"><strong>“Unbelievably, Burkhalter shamelessly continued to scam his victims even while under federal investigation” &#8211; US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg</strong> </p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-db8f98e4517a3d425dca981fbcb97cb7 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#190303;font-size:14px"><strong>Todd Burkhalter, the CEO of Drive Planning LLC., pled guilty to defrauding over 2,000 victims for more than $380 million between September 2020 and June 2024 </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-19f7ee969593a480b258c40e8a6cedf4 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#190303;font-size:14px"><strong>The financial group chief executive is accused of running the largest Ponzi scheme in Georgia’s history to fund a high-end lifestyle </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e43ed00dfd5cf3722209f522bd539c69 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#190303;font-size:14px"><strong>The loot was spent purchasing a yacht, a multi-million dollar condo in Mexico, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and chartering private jets </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e2f7e73e12fe3af08e8a366ba12a59e4 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#190303;font-size:14px"><strong>Prosecutors are seeking 17½-year prison sentence for Burkhalter as part of his plea deal, with sentencing hearing still to be scheduled</strong> </p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d144976b6420bbf8189dd15ee7916519 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#190303;font-size:14px"><strong>In a related case, former chief operating officer, David Bradford, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Dec 16, 2025, with his sentencing scheduled for March </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Todd-Burkhalter-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-492111" style="aspect-ratio:0.8026721336747796;width:833px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Todd Burkhalter, the CEO of Georgia based, Drive Planning LLC, Wednesday pled guilty to defrauding over 2,000 victims for more than $380 million between September 2020 and June 2024</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Todd Burkhalter, the CEO of Drive Planning LLC., pled guilty on Wednesday to defrauding over 2,000 victims for more than $380 million between September 2020 and June 2024. The financial advisor admitted to orchestrating massive fraud operation.<br>Burkhalter, the chief executive of the financial group is accused of running the largest Ponzi scheme in Georgia’s history to fund a high-end lifestyle, which included purchasing a yacht, a multi-million dollar condo in Mexico, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and chartering private jets.<br>&#8216;Unbelievably, Burkhalter shamelessly continued to scam his victims even while under federal investigation&#8217; , US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg revealed.<br>&#8216;Today’s guilty plea is just the first step in holding Burkhalter accountable for the considerable harm he caused,&#8217; Hertzberg said<br>According to the<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/financial-advisor-pleads-guilty-orchestrating-massive-380-million-ponzi-scheme"> statement</a> from the Department Of Justice, over the course of the scheme Burkhalter, a 54-year-old financial advisor from Miami used his Georgia based company to bilk thousands of investors of close to $400 million.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Todd-Burkhalter-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-492112" style="aspect-ratio:0.5633361290185327;width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Todd Burkhalter showcases a private jet, allegedly chartered with the money from his extensive Ponzi scheme</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Among the high flying expenditure financed by the loot, as listed by prosecutors, Burkhalter spent $2 million to purchase a yacht and $2.1 million was spent as part of a purchase of a luxury condo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. <br>$800,000 was spent acquiring a fleet of luxury vehicles, including a 2020 Prevost Marathon motorcoach and two 2024 Land Rovers. He also spent millions of dollars on luxury travel, including chartering private jets, while $320,000 went on clothing, jewelry, and beauty treatments.<br>The Florida native used the Alpharetta, Ga. based company to target several investment opportunities, including the &#8216;Real Estate Acceleration Loan&#8217; opportunity [REAL] and the &#8216;Cash Out Real Estate Fund&#8217; [CORE Fund].<br>Burkhalter used the REAL as the primary investment vehicle for Drive Planning. It was &#8216;fraudulently marketed as a bridge loan&#8217; that guaranteed investors a 10% return every three months. He wooed prospective investors with the promise that it was &#8216;easy and simple&#8217; to invest in the funds and encouraged them to use money from retirement and savings accounts.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Todd-Burkhalter-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-492114" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Throughout the scam prosecutors said, Burkhalter profited off investors and loan funds to bankroll personal purchases to fuel his luxury lifestyle</strong> </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Throughout the scam, Burkhalter profited off investors and loan funds to make personal purchases to fuel his luxury lifestyle.<br>He was accused of deceiving investors by claiming the company was fully collateralized by real estate. Backing those lies by creating bogus &#8216;collateral sheets&#8217; that identified the properties, some of which never existed.<br>Burkhalter also exaggerated his relationship with prominent real estate developers around Georgia, falsely claiming the investments were secured by properties in the developer’s portfolio.<br>The deceit by Drive Planning LLC extended to the company falsely claiming that it provided &#8216;100% Passive Income from Tax Liens&#8217; from the CORE Fund and guaranteed investors a return of 10% every six months or a 22% return per year for up to three years.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Todd-Burkhalter-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-492115" style="width:838px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The 54-year-old Florida native founded advisory firm Drive Planning LLC, based in Alpharetta, Ga. The deceptions began from the inception of Drive Planning, where he used the first $50,000 from REAL to pay off an early investor’s $21,000 in 2020</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Ultimately Drive Planning received at least $4.1 million from investors in the CORE Fund.<br>Burkhalter’s decent into fraud began from the inception of Drive Planning, where he used the first $50,000 from REAL to pay off an early investor’s $21,000 in 2020, prosecutors said. <br>Loot scammed from investors financed a lavish lifestyle. Personal purchases included a $2 million yacht, $2.1 million luxury condo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and $800,000 spent on multiple luxury vehicles that included a 2020 Prevost Marathon motorcoach and two 2024 Land Rovers.<br>Burkhalter prosecutors said, also spent millions on luxury travel, chartering private jets and $320,000 on clothing, jewelry and beauty treatments.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Todd-Burkhalter-5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-492116" style="width:825px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Burkhalter spent millions on luxury travel, chartering private jets and $320,000 on clothing, jewelry. Prosecutors said the large scale deception kicked off with the inception of Drive Planning, where he used the first $50,000 from REAL to pay off an early investor’s $21,000 in 2020 </strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Income from scams catapulted Burkhalter into the Big Leagues of marketing, infiltrating the prized sponsorship area behind home plate of Tropicana Field, the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.<br>The fraudster paid the MLB team $400,000 to market Drive Planning LLC inside the ballpark.<br>In June 2024, Burkhalter snapped a photo from a broadcast of the Rays game against the Chicago Cubs showing the bright orange ads behind the batter.<br>“Keep more, make more and live more,” the Drive Planning advertisement read.<br>The Rays were forced to return half the money as part of a court settlement, according to <a href="https://www.tampabay28.com/news/region-hillsborough/tampa-bay-rays-return-200-000-they-were-paid-by-company-involved-in-alleged-ponzi-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ABC Tampa Bay 28.</a></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Todd-Burkhalter-6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-492118" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Burkhalter touted the might of Drive Planning instruments in an ad appearing behind home plate during a Tampa Bay Rays game</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">He would later use at least $80,000 in investor funds to pay off his ex-wife’s attorneys and recreational vehicle expenses.<br>The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into the conman’s company in March 2024, but Burkhalter continued taking in tens of millions of dollars through the scheme until September that year.<br>Prosecutors are seeking a 17½-year prison sentence for Burkhalter as part of his plea deal.<br>A sentencing hearing hasn’t been scheduled. In a related case, Drive Planning’s former chief operating officer, David Bradford, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on December 16, 2025. His sentencing is scheduled for March 17.</p>

CEO of Georgia based financial group, Todd Burkhalter, admits to running $380M Ponzi scheme – as prosecutors seek 17½-year prison sentence
