After 2 Deputies From IE Convicted In Corruption Scheme, 'Godfather' Of The Criminal Enterprise Is Sentenced

LOS ANGELES — A self-proclaimed "Godfather" who hired corrupt off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies — including two who resided in the Inland Empire — to terrorize his rivals, was sentenced Monday to 78 months in federal prison.

Adam Iza, 26, formerly of Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson, who also ordered him to pay $23,402,766 in restitution. Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion.

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Monday's sentence runs concurrently with a 15-year federal prison term Iza received last month in Connecticut for his involvement in an attempted Bitcoin robbery. He has been in federal custody since September 2024.

According to federal prosecutors, Iza's operation relied on corrupt law enforcement officers who abused their badges for private hire. Among the convicted Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies are two who lived in the Inland Empire:

• Michael David Coberg, 45, of Eastvale: Serving a 63-month federal prison sentence after being sentenced in March for helping Iza extort a rival and arranging a sham illegal drug possession arrest in Paramount.
• Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, of Chino: A former LASD deputy and federal task force officer sentenced Sept. 28 to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy against rights and making a false tax return. Saavedra founded a security company that hired deputies for Iza and used his law enforcement powers to improperly obtain search warrants to harass Iza's adversaries.

Other former LASD deputies convicted in the scheme include Scott Allen Simpkins, 34, of Brea, who was sentenced on July 13 to 18 months in federal prison for obstructing a federal investigation into Iza's extortion of $25,000 from a party planner at Iza's Bel Air mansion. Additionally, David Anthony Rodriguez, 45, of La Verne, was sentenced on July 20 to one year in federal prison. He worked as a private security guard for Iza and pleaded guilty to submitting a false search warrant application to a state court judge.

"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," prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.

In an unrelated scheme running from December 2020 to September 2024, Iza fraudulently gained access to Meta business manager accounts and lines of credit, reselling them to advertising companies. He brought in roughly $37 million, sticking Meta and its clients with fraudulent advertising bills.

Iza admitted he failed to file corporate tax returns during that time, causing a total IRS loss of more than $13.2 million while hiding his money through cryptocurrency custodians and co-schemers.

An associate, Iris Rabaya Au, 37, of Irvine, was sentenced Sept. 21 to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit a fleet of luxury cars, designer handbags and three "Godfather" sculptures after failing to report over $2.6 million in ill-gotten gains from Iza's schemes.