California Man Gets 15 Years In Danbury Kidnapping, Bitcoin Robbery Scheme: Feds

DANBURY, CT — A California man who prosecutors said helped orchestrate the kidnapping of two people in Danbury as part of an attempt to steal Bitcoin has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

Adam Iza, 26, was sentenced Wednesday to 180 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.

The case stems from an Aug. 25, 2024, carjacking and kidnapping in Danbury. Police arrested six Florida men after a Lamborghini Urus was violently carjacked and its two occupants kidnapped, federal prosecutors said.

Investigators later determined the victims were the parents of a person who had participated in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said Iza and others planned and coordinated an attempt to steal some of the cryptocurrency, which ultimately led to the kidnapping.

Iza communicated by cellphone and encrypted messaging apps with some of the kidnappers, directed logistics for the scheme and provided funding, prosecutors said.

Iza has been detained since September 2024, when he was charged in California with unrelated federal offenses. He pleaded guilty June 1 in Connecticut to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, also known as Hobbs Act robbery.

Iza's brother, Saif Faiq, has pleaded guilty to the same offense and is awaiting sentencing, according to prosecutors. The six men who carried out the carjacking and kidnapping have also pleaded guilty, while other co-conspirators are awaiting trial.

The case was investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force, FBI offices in Los Angeles and St. Louis and the Danbury Police Department.