federal criminal defense attorney - Conaway & Strickler

Recent Investment Fraud case in Georgia

Conaway & Strickler, P.C. — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 18:04:54 GMT

David Bradford, the former Chief Operating Officer of Drive Planning LLC (“Drive Planning”), pled guilty last month to conspiracy to commit wire fraud arising from a multi-year Ponzi investment fraud case that defrauded investors out of millions of dollars. A SEC complaint was also filed against Jacqueline and Russell Todd Burkhalter. The SEC complaint details that promises of investment gains were built on lies. Drive Planning and its officers did not have any legitimate business operations capable of generating the returns they touted. Instead, they used new investor funds to pay earlier investors in classic Ponzi scheme fashion. The defendants in the case, it was alleged, used the funds to fund an extravagant lifestyle, including purchasing a $3.1 million yacht, spending $4.6 million on private jets and luxury car services, and acquiring a $2 million luxury condo.

An Indianapolis broker is also being charged with securities fraud and investment fraud by the SEC in relation to Drive Planning LLC, and its alleged $300 million Ponzi scheme. Gerardo “Gerry” Linarducci, a former Managing Partner of Drive Planning and head of its Indiana branch office, was charged on Dec. 19.

It is alleged that from late 2021 until in or about June 2024, Drive Planning, a Georgia based financial advisory group, marketed several investments, including the “Cash Out Real Estate Fund,” or “CORE Fund,” as “easy and simple,” advising prospective investors that the fund provided “100% Passive Income from Tax Liens.” Drive Planning guaranteed investors a return of 10% every six months or a 22% return per year for up to three years. Drive Planning further materially misrepresented that investors’ contributions to the CORE Fund were pooled together, government-protected, and fully collateralized. As part of the scheme, Bradford created a marketing brochure to promote the CORE Fund, which was shared with Drive Planning’s sales agents to solicit investors.

In actuality, the investors’ monies were being used for other purposes, including to pay off other Drive Planning investors, make commission payments to Drive Planning’s agents, and pay for personal expenditures. Bradford and others at Drive Planning further concealed the scheme to defraud by failing to disclose that Drive Planning did not invest any funds in the CORE Fund after approximately December 9, 2022. To the contrary, even after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating Drive Planning in approximately March 2024, Bradford and others continued to solicit investments for the CORE Fund. In total, Drive Planning received at least $4.1 million from CORE Fund investors.

In August 2024, the SEC obtained a temporary restraining order against Drive Planning and filed separate civil enforcement actions against Drive Planning and others in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia related to the above-described scheme.

We Can Help

Conaway & Strickler, PC has vast experience representing those who are facing charges from the SEC and the DOJ and we are equally adept at representing victims of investment fraud. We pursue all available legal avenues to recover your lost investments. Contact us should you need representation.

White House Designates Fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction

Conaway & Strickler, P.C. — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:16:15 GMT

President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. This will now expand enforcement tools and give the government additional powers to combat illegal trafficking of the fentanyl.

What will this mean to clients charged with trafficking or possessing fentanyl? This concept has been debated for a few years now. Unfortunately, it is now official. This executive order will increase the penalties. 18 U.S.C. §2332 imposes a maximum sentence of life in prison for violation of this statute, and, if death results, this statute permits bringing the death penalty.

Despite intensified measures targeting drug supply and trafficking, there remains a lack of substantial efforts directed toward treatment, prevention, and broader accountability. Issues surrounding pharmaceutical companies such as the Sacklers, Purdue Pharma, and the ongoing opioid epidemic continue to be areas of public concern and debate.

While federal enforcement efforts are intensifying, the current approach may further strain the criminal justice system, especially as courts and correctional facilities contend with rising caseloads linked to fentanyl offenses. The broader public health response—including investments in addiction recovery, harm reduction, and community education—remains crucial to preventing future tragedies and supporting individuals affected by substance use disorders. As policy shifts continue, we will need to balance aggressive enforcement with meaningful support for those impacted by the opioid crisis.

The Department of Justice is currently citing “office policy” of very tough resolutions to drug trafficking cases with zero thought on the individual details of each case.

Tax Crimes in Cryptocurrency

Law Office of Conaway & Strickler — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 13:32:00 GMT

Leona Helmsley, Jim Thorpe, Webster Hubbell, Alphonse Capone, and Peter Madoff are among many convicted of tax crimes such as tax evasion and tax fraud. The government generally targets groups like tax preparation firms and entities that are mainly cash based. But, the criminal division of the IRS has begun a more targeted approach to investigate and prosecute tax crimes in the cryptocurrency arena. Crypto investment schemes, for example, require investors to produce cash, but then convert the fraud proceeds to cryptocurrency to purposefully circumvent financial reporting requirements. These type of cases thus also involve potential money laundering, wire fraud and structuring charges,

The “newer” question on page 1 of the Tax Form 1040 now has a question that states, “At any time during the past year did you receive any financial interest in virtual currency?” In 2019, this question was only on Schedule 1. As of 2020, it is on page 1 of the Tax Form 1040. This is specifically targeted to combat cryptocurrency tax evasion.

Under 26 U.S.C § 7206(1), it is a criminal offense to file a tax return the filer knows is materially false. So, if you do not check that box on that first page, AND have substantial income in crypto, you might be targeted by the IRS. Remember cryptocurrencies are essentially similar to common stocks. This means a taxpayer must report their gains in cryptocurrencies on Form 8949. These gains are passed through to Schedule D on personal returns. The filer is responsible for paying capital gains tax on the net gain for the year. The government is long since versed in understanding the intricacies of the market like the role of hardware wallets, the use of DEXs, on-chain information, and how to track crypto movement across distributed ledgers. Please see here for a recent example of a case where non-payment of federal income tax on cryptocurrency earnings led to a conviction.

Contact Conaway & Strickler, PC if you have any questions on these complex federal criminal tax issues. Our experienced federal criminal defense attorneys are here to help.