Tag: Georgia
Todd Burkhalter, Ponzi Scheme, Georgia 2020
⏱ 3 min read Todd Burkhalter, the CEO of Georgia-based financial advisory group Drive Planning, orchestrated a massive $380 million Ponzi scheme that duped thousands of investors across the country. Between September 2020 and June 2024, Burkhalter and his cohorts marketed fake investment opportunities, including the ‘Real Estate Acceleration Loan’ and ‘Cash Out Real Estate…
David Griffin, Possessing Firearms as Convicted Felon, Georgia 2026
⏱ 2 min read In a crackdown on firearms offenses and immigration violations, a federal Grand Jury in Southern Georgia has indicted multiple defendants, including David Griffin, Alton Vincent, and Kadeem Amir Wicker, for possessing firearms as convicted felons or prohibited persons. The indictments, announced by U.S. Attorney Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, also include charges…
Ryan Thomas Manley, Production with Intent to Distribute Child Pornography, Georgia 2025
⏱ 2 min read Ryan Thomas Manley, a 44-year-old from Evans, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to producing and distributing child pornography. From January to February 2025, Manley created morphed images of real minor victims with the intent to distribute them through electronic means. The guilty plea comes after a thorough investigation by federal authorities, who…
Desmond Glenn, Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Georgia 2025
⏱ 2 min read A meth trafficking ring sourcing drugs from Atlanta for distribution in Milledgeville, Georgia, has been dismantled, with two defendants sentenced on August 12. Desmond Glenn, 35, and Katherine Short-Barcenas, 36, both of Milledgeville, pleaded guilty to their roles in the operation. Glenn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to…
Gabriel Ojeda Murguia, Fentanyl Trafficking, Georgia 2024
⏱ 2 min read Gabriel Ojeda Murguia, a notorious drug dealer with a history of violence, was caught trafficking over 25 kilograms of fentanyl and other drugs in the Atlanta area between April 2024 and April 2025. Murguia, also known as ‘Taliban’, sold fentanyl and methamphetamine in Gwinnett County, putting countless lives at risk for…
Patrick Dallas, Mail and Wire Fraud, Rhode Island 2023
⏱ 2 min read A 38-year-old Georgia man, Patrick Dallas, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for his role in a wide-ranging lottery and sweepstakes scam that defrauded senior citizens in Rhode Island and multiple other states out of at least $1 million. The scam, which involved bogus claims of winning large…
Zhu Chen, Jiayi Chen, Jianjun Lu, Forced Labor, Georgia 2026
⏱ 2 min read In a shocking case of modern-day slavery, three men – Zhu Chen, Jiayi Chen, and Jianjun Lu – have been indicted for forced labor and related offenses at Cartersville-based flooring manufacturer Wellmade Industries. The alleged scheme involved recruiting Chinese nationals with false promises, then subjecting them to inhumane working conditions, including…
Pedro Guadarrama Loza, Meth Trafficking, Georgia 2026
⏱ 2 min read Pedro Guadarrama Loza, a previously deported Mexican national and convicted felon, is facing federal charges for his alleged role in a massive methamphetamine trafficking operation in North Georgia. On July 29, 2026, law enforcement identified a suspicious shipment of five boxes from Mexico en route to the Gainesville area. The boxes…
Babajide Adesayo, Money Laundering, Georgia 2020
⏱ 2 min read Babajide Adesayo, an Atlanta man, was convicted of laundering over $2.7 million stolen from victims of online fraud, including romance scams, between April 2020 and September 2021. Adesayo was part of a complex transnational network that preyed upon elderly victims, siphoning their retirement savings overseas to China, Hong Kong, and Nigeria.…
Norman Dixson, Dogfighting, Georgia 2023
⏱ 2 min read Norman Dixson, a convicted drug dealer from Griffin, Georgia, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for promoting dogfighting. Dixson, who fraudulently obtained federal pandemic relief money to fund his lifestyle, was found guilty of breeding, training, and abusing dogs in horrific conditions for his own entertainment and monetary…
