A Flowery Branch man accused of masterminding a $165 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme is back in the United States after federal authorities say he fled more than 7,000 miles to Fiji while investigators closed in.

Edward Zimbardi, 59, is facing federal wire fraud and money laundering charges in a case being prosecuted out of the Northern District of Georgia. Prosecutors say Zimbardi persuaded thousands of people to invest in what he called “The Crypto Program,” promising enormous returns before the operation collapsed in 2023.

The Flowery Branch resident was deported from Fiji on Friday, Aug. 14, following coordination between Fijian authorities, the FBI and U.S. Department of State.

He was expected to make his first federal court…