CEO Jailed 20 Years for Massive $380M Investment Scam

A Georgia financial boss just got hit with a 20-year prison term. Todd Burkhalter ran a huge Ponzi scheme that pulled in about $380 million. He used the cash to live large — yachts, jets, fancy homes. Over 2,000 people lost money. The judge didn't go easy.

The scam ran from 2020 to 2024. His company Drive Planning sold fake investment deals. They called them REAL and CORE Fund. Promised safe returns backed by real estate. But the paperwork was forged. Some properties didn't even exist. They targeted retirement savings and credit lines.

Two top lieutenants also got sentenced. David Bradford, a pastor and dad of six, got four years. He admitted he was a coward. He took $4.1 million from investors, some from his own church. Julie Edwards, the admin chief, got two years. She spent $630,000 of stolen money on a house.

Burkhalter's spending was wild. A $2 million yacht. A $2.1 million condo in Mexico. $800,000 on vehicles including a motorcoach and Land Rovers. Hundreds of thousands on clothes, jewelry, beauty treatments. Even paid his ex-wife's lawyer $800,000. All from victim funds.

All three face three years supervised release after prison. The FBI called it likely the biggest Ponzi in Georgia history. Burkhalter kept scamming even while under investigation. Prosecutors wanted 17.5 years, defense asked for 14. Judge gave 20.