Clients scammed out of $300M were smart but got fooled, lawyer says

By CAT SANDOVAL
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

A lawyer is encouraging investors who lost millions in a Ponzi scheme to come forward.

The company accused of running the scheme has an office in Fishers at 8100 E. 106th St. That’s in an office building just west of Interstate 69.

A lawyer told I-Team 8 that the investors were smart but got fooled.

Lawyer Shawn Good, who represents former Drive Planning investors, encouraged people who lost money to come forward.

“A lot of people I talk to are professionals in business, highly educated individuals, people with solid careers and education that thought this was a great opportunity. It was for years and years until it collapsed and blew up in their face unfortunately.”

Some of his clients who invested in the company earned interest and reinvested even more money, which was when they lost their savings.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accuses the financial firm Drive Planning and CEO Russell Todd Burkhalter of stealing $300 million worth of investor dollars to fund its CEO’s lavish lifestyle through Ponzi-like payments. The commission says Burkhalter used that money to buy himself a $3.1 million yacht among other things.

The firm had an office in Fishers, but moved out and took out its signage.

Good wasn’t sure if investors can recover the money lost. “I have no idea at this point. I’m hopeful. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

More than 2,000 investors from Indiana and out of state were victimized with a promise of a 10 percent interest every three months. For four years, the company encouraged investors to use their savings, retirement accounts, and open lines of credit.

“We’ve noticed shame, guilt, and embarrassment, and also a unique thing that stands out from a few of these folks is they’re grateful they didn’t introduce anyone else to this.”

Good is bringing together former investors of Drive Planning so they can put together a class-action lawsuit against the financial firm. Good hopes the company has some sort of tangible assets.

“My hope is that they bought real estate in these hot markets, which were Florida, Georgia, and Indiana, and they bought them during this boom since COVID, and they secured good financing and values went up.”

Drive Planning was planning to build a new office in Fishers at 116th Street and Olio Road. The city and the mayor approved its development in January. But, nothing has been built to this point.

The mayor declined I-Team 8’s request for comment regarding the property or this case.

I-Team 8 also reached out to Burkhalter for comment but got no response.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/scammed-out-of-300m-investors-lawyer-said-clients-were-smart-but-got-fooled.