LA Sheriff’s Deputies Used Badges to Help Crypto ‘Godfather’ Extort Victims

Key Points

1. David Anthony Rodriguez and Christopher Michael Cadman, LA Sheriff’s deputies, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights for aiding crypto businessman Adam Iza in extortion schemes.

2. Cadman and another deputy held a victim at gunpoint in 2021, forcing a $25,000 transfer to Iza’s account, while Rodriguez obtained a fraudulent search warrant to track a victim.

3. Adam Iza, in federal custody since September 2024, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion, facing up to 35 years in prison.

4. Iza paid deputies up to $280,000 monthly, with one payment of $154,933 documented, and acquired $16 million in crypto through fraudulent means.

5. The case is part of a wider federal crackdown on crypto crime, including a $263 million racketeering conspiracy and a $40 million Ponzi scheme by Dwayne Golden.