Two Los Angeles Deputies Admit to Assisting “The Godfather” With His Illegal Operations

Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies have pleaded guilty to aiding the convicted crypto extorter dubbed "The Godfather" with his illegal operations.

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that David Anthony Rodriguez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy against rights, while Christopher Michael Cadman will admit to conspiracy against rights and filing a false tax return.

According to federal prosecutors, Rodriguez and Cadman exploited their official positions while moonlighting as private security for high-profile clients.

Among their clients was Adam Iza, operator of the crypto platform Zort and known by aliases including Ahmed Faiq and “The Godfather.”

Iza had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, and tax evasion after authorities revealed he paid three LASD deputies—including Rodriguez and Cadman—to unlawfully file search warrants and access police data as part of a criminal crypto extortion scheme.

Intimidation and Extortion by Deputies

Evidence presented by prosecutors shows that in August 2021, Cadman and another deputy (identified in court documents as “LASD Deputy 6”) threatened one of Iza’s adversaries.

During an encounter at Iza’s Bel Air mansion, Deputy 6 reportedly held the victim at gunpoint, leading the victim to promptly transfer $25,000 to Iza.

The following month, Cadman and other officers orchestrated a traffic stop and arrested the same individual, furthering the pattern of intimidation on Iza’s behalf.

Cadman also admitted to failing to report at least $40,500 in income on his 2021 tax return. Cadman is expected to appear in federal court and could face up to 13 years in prison.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, has admitted to providing false information to a judge in July 2022, claiming a warrant was connected to a robbery.

In reality, he was seeking the GPS location of a victim’s phone for a private client. He shared this sensitive information with another deputy, Eric Chase Saavedra, also hired by Iza. Saavedra previously pleaded guilty to related conspiracy and tax charges and is currently out on $50,000 bond while awaiting sentencing.

Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for November 10, where he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Saavedra could also face up to 13 years when sentenced.

Deploying “Pawns” To get His Hands On Private Information

Investigative documents reveal that Iza have hired multiple police deputies and using them as pawns, while boasting about how he is paying them as much as $280,000 a month for their services.

In another incident, Iza allegedly used the information he had obtained from the deputies working for him and used it to intimidate a victim, sending him threat messages to pressure him into handing over a laptop containing crypto holdings.

Iza’s ex-girlfriend, Iris Ramaya Au, has also pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return after failing to report over $2.6 million in illicit profits gained through Iza’s criminal activity.

Au is accused of creating shell companies, opening accounts, and helping launder money, which funded luxury real estate, vehicles, jewelry, clothing, and payments to LASD deputies.

Ongoing Legal Proceedings

Iza’s attorney previously argued that Iza’s actions were out of character and attributed some of his circumstances to spending much of his life isolated behind a computer.

However, court filings cite that his crypto earnings attracted criminal elements, further implicating his operation in a wider network of corruption.

Iza’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 15, where he faces up to 35 years in prison.