Adam Iza Sentenced for Meta Fraud and Corrupting LA Deputies

Adam Iza, a 26-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur who branded himself “The Godfather,” was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for orchestrating a $37 million advertising fraud against Meta and weaponizing off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies to intimidate personal adversaries. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered Iza to pay $23.4 million in restitution to victims and the IRS.

The sentence runs concurrently with a separate 15-year term Iza received last month in Connecticut for an attempted Bitcoin robbery. While the new sentencing does not extend his total time behind bars, it establishes a formal legal accounting for two distinct criminal enterprises: a massive digital ad theft scheme and a corruption ring that turned sworn law enforcement officers into private enforcers.

Prosecutors detailed how Iza exploited vulnerabilities in Meta’s business manager ecosystem between December 2020 and 2022. Rather than hacking accounts directly, he obtained unauthorized access to legitimate business lines of credit attached to Meta advertising platforms. He then sold this illicit access to third-party advertising firms, which ran campaigns billed to compromised corporate accounts. When clients disputed the charges, Meta absorbed the losses through refunds rather than passing costs to advertisers, effectively making the tech giant the sole victim of the wire fraud.

To conceal the proceeds, Iza funneled stolen funds through Zort, a cryptocurrency trading platform whose ownership he deliberately hid from tax authorities. He admitted to generating more than $36.3 million in gross income through 2023 while filing zero corporate tax returns, causing a federal tax loss exceeding $13.2 million. The laundering operation involved moving corporate revenue into crypto custodial wallets and using associates to purchase luxury goods on his behalf.

Parallel to the financial crimes, Iza cultivated relationships with LASD personnel between August 2021 and April 2022, hiring them as personal security while actively directing them to misuse police powers. Under his direction, deputies pulled confidential law enforcement databases to locate individuals with whom Iza had financial disputes. They also filed false search warrant applications and conducted intimidation campaigns under color of authority.

Five former deputies have now been convicted for their roles in the conspiracy. Eric Chase Saavedra, a former federal task force officer who established the security company supplying the deputies, received 21 months. Michael David Coberg was sentenced to 63 months for facilitating extortion and arranging a fabricated drug arrest. Scott Allen Simpkins received 18 months for obstructing an investigation into a $25,000 shakedown at Iza’s Bel Air residence, and David Anthony Rodriguez was given one year for submitting a fraudulent warrant application.

Iris Rabaya Au, Iza’s former girlfriend, was sentenced to 18 months in September for failing to report over $2.6 million derived from his criminal activity. She must forfeit luxury vehicles, designer handbags, and three sculptures depicting “The Godfather” persona, alongside paying nearly $1.5 million in restitution.

Federal prosecutors emphasized during sentencing that wealth cannot purchase judicial or law enforcement tools for private vendettas. Iza has remained in continuous custody since his September 2024 arrest and pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, and tax evasion.