A man who allegedly ran an international cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme from suburban Atlanta is on the run.
The state is now acting against a man Channel 2 Action News Investigates has been reporting on for more than two years.
Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray has been following this story every step of the way, and he learned the emergency order bars Ed Zimbardi from doing any investment advising or securities selling.
It also fined him and each of the companies associated with him a total of $1.5 million.
Authorities say it appears he’s on the run overseas.
“What he was selling wasn’t real. No, he faked it till he made it. And I mean, he’s still making it. He’s still doing things to this day,” said an investor in 2024.
The head of Georgia’s Securities Division says the answer still has not changed two years later.
“Oh yes, we have information that leads us to believe that he’s still at it,” a spokesperson said.
Georgia’s secretary of state issued this emergency order against Zimbardi, writing that “Despite regulatory action taken by multiple jurisdictions, Zimbardi continues to perpetuate financial scams.”
In a 2024 investigation we first introduced you to Zimbardi and the alleged international Ponzi scheme he ran from suburban Atlanta, called the CryptoProgram.
People talked about the excitement of promised returns and seeing money come in – until they lost it all.
The emergency order alleges that while Zimbardi promised 25% returns per month, which would set people free financially, it instead diverted investor funds to an overseas crypto wallet based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Last summer, we weren’t allowed past the front gates when Zimbardi was briefly back in the U-S., in a Gwinnett County subdivision.
He was last seen in the Netherlands. The order says his current address is unknown.
This was a civil order, but there are criminal investigations under way as well.
The Secretary of State’s Office says it’s their understanding there are government agencies working on tracking Zimbardi down.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
