Key Takeaways
- Adam Iza, 26, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for defrauding Meta of more than $37 million.
- U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson ordered Iza to pay $23.4 million in restitution, about 64 percent of the $36.4 million he took.
- Iza hired off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies to pull confidential records and harass people he was in disputes with.
- The 78-month term runs at the same time as a 15-year sentence Iza received for an attempted Bitcoin robbery.
Adam Iza, a 26-year-old who called himself The Godfather, was sentenced on October 5, 2026 to 78 months in federal prison for defrauding Meta of more than $37 million, evading taxes, and hiring off-duty Los Angeles sheriff's deputies, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.
How Adam Iza Stole More Than $37 Million From Meta
Adam Iza gained access to Meta advertising accounts and credit lines and received at least $36.4 million from the scheme, prosecutors said. He then moved the proceeds through cryptocurrency custodians to hide them from tax authorities. Prosecutors estimated the conduct caused a $13.3 million tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service.
Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, and tax evasion. He has been in custody since September 2024. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson handed down the 78-month term, which equals about six and a half years, and ordered Iza to pay $23,402,766 in restitution. That restitution equals about 64 percent of the $36.4 million Iza received from the fraud, a share the sentencing announcement did not state.
The new term runs at the same time as a 15-year sentence Iza received last month in Connecticut for his role in an attempted Bitcoin robbery in August 2024. Running the sentences concurrently means the 78 months do not add to the 15 years already imposed.
The Los Angeles Deputies Convicted in the Iza Scheme
Between August 2021 and April 2022, Adam Iza hired off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies as personal security. He admitted conspiring with them to pull confidential law enforcement records and personal data on people he had financial disputes with, and to obtain court-authorized search warrants to track those people down. He also had the deputies intimidate and threaten them.
Five former deputies have been convicted over work they did for Iza, the Department of Justice said. Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, a former federal task force officer who set up the security company that supplied them, received 21 months on September 28. Michael David Coberg, 45, is serving 63 months for helping extort a rival and arranging a sham drug arrest. Scott Allen Simpkins, 34, received 18 months for obstructing an investigation into a $25,000 extortion at Iza's Bel Air mansion. David Anthony Rodriguez, 45, received a year for filing a false search warrant application.
What the Court Said About Buying Law Enforcement Access
Prosecutors framed the case as a warning about wealth and police power. "Individuals with substantial financial resources must understand that they cannot purchase access to confidential databases, investigative tools, warrants, arrests, badges, or firearms for use in private disputes," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said during sentencing, according to the Department of Justice statement.
The figures the court worked from were concrete. Iza took in at least $36.4 million, cost the IRS an estimated $13.3 million, and now owes $23.4 million back. The ratio of restitution to income shows the court is recovering roughly two of every three dollars Iza received, leaving a gap between what he took and what he must repay.
People Also Ask
How long is Adam Iza's sentence?
Adam Iza was sentenced to 78 months, about six and a half years, in federal prison for the $37 million Meta fraud. That term runs at the same time as a separate 15-year sentence Iza received for an attempted Bitcoin robbery, so it does not extend his total time.
How much did Adam Iza steal from Meta?
Adam Iza defrauded Meta of more than $37 million and received at least $36.4 million in income from the scheme, prosecutors said. His conduct also caused an estimated $13.3 million tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service.
What did the Los Angeles sheriff's deputies do for Adam Iza?
Adam Iza hired off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies to obtain confidential law enforcement records, personal data, and search warrants on people he had disputes with, and to intimidate them. Five former deputies have since been convicted for their part in the scheme.
How much restitution must Adam Iza pay?
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson ordered Adam Iza to pay $23,402,766 in restitution. That sum equals about 64 percent of the $36.4 million Iza received from the fraud against Meta.