Todd Burkhalter

What the public record shows

Todd Burkhalter, founder and CEO of Drive Planning LLC, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the Northern District of Georgia. This is a criminal conviction by plea — not merely an allegation.

The scheme

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia:

• Burkhalter marketed Drive Planning as a “bridge loan” investment, guaranteeing investors a 10% return every three months.
• He falsely represented that the investments were fully collateralized by real estate, backing the pitch with fabricated “collateral sheets” listing specific properties — properties that, in reality, did not secure the investments as claimed.
• The scheme defrauded more than 2,000 investors of approximately $380 million.
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office described it as likely the largest Ponzi scheme in Georgia history.

Where the case stands

Burkhalter has pleaded guilty. The government has conditionally agreed to recommend a 17.5-year sentence, but formal sentencing has not yet occurred as of this review. A guilty plea is a completed, adjudicated admission of guilt — distinct from pending charges — even though the final sentence is not yet imposed.

Why we rate this 1 / 10 — Avoid

A guilty plea to wire fraud in a scheme prosecutors call the largest Ponzi scheme in Georgia’s history, built on fabricated collateral documents and affecting over 2,000 investors, warrants our lowest rating regardless of the eventual sentence length.

Red flags this case teaches

• “Guaranteed” fixed returns — especially a specific, repeating figure like “10% every three months” — are a hallmark of Ponzi structures. No legitimate real-estate bridge-loan investment can guarantee a fixed return independent of market conditions.
• Collateral documents provided by the fundraiser are not proof. Verify property ownership and lien status directly with county recorder’s offices, not through sheets the promoter hands you.
• Scale is not a safety signal. A $380 million operation with 2,000+ investors ran for years before collapsing — size and apparent legitimacy are not substitutes for independent verification.

Bottom line

A guilty plea to wire fraud in what prosecutors call the largest Ponzi scheme in Georgia history — built on fabricated real-estate collateral and roughly $380 million in investor losses. We will update this review once sentencing is final.

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