Federal Charges in Civil Rights Conspiracy
In a significant development concerning a civil rights conspiracy involving law enforcement, federal prosecutors in California have filed charges against a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy and secured a guilty plea from another. The charges relate to activities surrounding Adam Iza, a 24-year-old entrepreneur in the cryptocurrency sector, who has dubbed himself “The Godfather” and is the founder of Zort, a trading platform that allegedly served as a channel for illegal payments to police officers.
Guilty Pleas and Implications
Iza, who has been in federal custody since September 2024, entered a guilty plea in January, admitting to conspiracy against rights, tax evasion, and wire fraud. Two deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) have also been implicated. David Anthony Rodriguez, one of the deputies, pleaded guilty to misusing his authority in support of a private security client that was unrelated to Iza, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
In a separate but related case, another deputy, Christopher Michael Cadman, also agreed to a guilty plea. His charges stem from his direct involvement with Iza, where he reportedly partook in an armed confrontation to intimidate a victim and assisted in a contrived traffic stop to coerce another individual, demonstrating a blatant abuse of his law enforcement position.
Details of the Conspiracy
Prosecutors disclosed that the deputies, while serving as private security for clients outside of their official duties, participated in orchestrated armed confrontations aimed at intimidating rivals of Iza. In a shocking incident in August 2021, Cadman and an unidentified LASD member reportedly held a victim at gunpoint within Iza’s luxurious Bel Air residence, coercing him into transferring $25,000 to Iza’s financial account.
The following month, Cadman was involved in a traffic stop that lacked any legitimate law enforcement reason, targeting the same victim. Rodriguez admitted to having acquired a fraudulent search warrant by deceiving a judge regarding a robbery case, with his true intention being to obtain GPS tracking data exploitatively. This data was then shared with associates, including Eric Chase Saavedra, another LASD deputy, who, despite not being explicitly named in the latest indictment, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and filing a false tax return in February.
Financial Corruption and Broader Implications
Cadman reportedly received over $40,000 in unreported cash from Iza, resulting in a federal tax liability of approximately $11,000. This corruption exemplified a larger scheme, where Iza was alleged to have funneled vast sums to law enforcement personnel, including impersonating FBI agents. According to previous court documents, one substantial payment totaling $154,933 was traced from Zort’s business account to an LAPD officer.
Iza’s questionable operations have come under further scrutiny with his former partner, Iris Ramaya Au, also pleading guilty for failing to report $2.6 million in illicit proceeds. During their relationship, they reportedly splurged around $10 million on luxury goods as part of a broader fraudulent scope, which saw Iza amass a staggering $16 million in cryptocurrencies through dishonest means.
Future Proceedings
As the case unfolds, Rodriguez is facing a potential 10-year prison sentence, set to be determined at his upcoming hearing on November 10. Saavedra, who has been released on a $50,000 bond, is expected to face sentencing soon. Uncertainty looms regarding subsequent arrests, as inquiries have been made to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation for further insights into the ongoing investigation.
