‍Crypto ‘Godfather’ and LASD Detective Agree to Plead Guilty to Violating Civil Rights of Business Rivals and Tax Crimes

On January 24, 2024, Adam Iza, also known as "The Godfather," pleaded guilty in the US District Court for the Central District of California to multiple federal charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion. Iza admitted to orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraudulent scheme that involved illegally accessing Meta business manager accounts to exploit their advertising credit lines, defrauding businesses and Meta of approximately $37 million in revenue. 

Alongside his fraudulent online advertising operations, Iza leveraged corrupt Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) officials, including Detective Jamal Kimball, to harass, threaten, and extort individuals with whom he had financial and personal disputes.

According to Iza’s indictment and plea agreement, Iza and co-conspirators ran a very lucrative fraud scheme. Iza laundered the money through various shell company bank accounts and converted millions of dollars into cryptocurrency via a foreign based exchange. When Iza’s enemies refused to cooperate with his schemes, Iza instructed the corrupt deputies to harass and extort them, including obtaining falsified warrants and trackers to commit the extortions.

A major aspect of the case involved Iza’s corrupt collaboration with LASD Detective Jamal Kimball, a sworn law enforcement officer who abused his position to provide Iza with confidential law enforcement data and carry out illegal enforcement actions. Court documents reveal that Kimball accessed law enforcement databases to gather private information on Iza’s business rivals, competitors, and others he viewed as threats. In some instances, Kimball conducted unauthorized background checks and even orchestrated false arrests. 

In one case, Iza directed Kimball to fabricate allegations against an individual, which led to a fraudulent police report and an unlawful traffic stop where planted narcotics resulted in the individual’s arrest. Investigators found that Iza personally ordered intimidation tactics, including armed home invasions, physical threats, and extortion. His organization even employed armed bodyguards and enforcers to force individuals into transferring cryptocurrency, cash, and other valuable assets to him. One of the most alarming aspects of the case involved Iza’s attempt to recover a laptop that he believed contained over $100 million in cryptocurrency. Iza dispatched his armed associates to forcibly enter a victim’s residence in an effort to locate the device. The victim, fearing for their safety, complied with Iza’s demands, further highlighting the violent nature of his operation.

As part of his plea agreement, Iza agreed to forfeit millions of dollars in illicitly obtained assets, including cryptocurrency holdings, bank accounts, luxury vehicles, and real estate. Prosecutors are seeking up to 35 years in federal prison, citing the breadth of Iza’s fraudulent activities, his misuse of law enforcement officials, and his direct involvement in violent intimidation tactics. Sentencing is expected to take place later this year.

The case was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Department of Justice’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. This case underscores the increasing intersection between cyber-enabled fraud, violent crime, and corruption.

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