Adam Iza, 26, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for defrauding Meta of more than $37 million, evading taxes and using off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to intimidate rivals, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday.
The DOJ said Iza, who described himself as “The Godfather,” was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson to pay $23.4 million in restitution.
Sentence runs alongside prior 15-year term
Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. His 78-month sentence will run concurrently with the 15-year prison term he received last month in Connecticut for his role in an attempted bitcoin robbery in August 2024.
How prosecutors said the Meta scheme worked
According to prosecutors, Iza gained access to Meta Business Manager accounts and associated credit lines, then sold that access to advertising companies. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, billed clients for ads they did not buy and later refunded them.
Prosecutors said Iza received at least $36.4 million in income from the scheme. They also said the conduct caused an estimated $13.3 million tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service. Separately, the DOJ said he defrauded Meta of more than $37 million.
Crypto custodians mentioned in the case
The case shows how crypto custodians can be used in wider fraud and tax-evasion schemes. According to the DOJ, Iza admitted moving corporate income tied to the fraud to crypto custodians while concealing his ownership of a company called Zort.
Use of off-duty deputies
Between 2021 and 2022, prosecutors said Iza hired off-duty deputies to obtain confidential law-enforcement information, personal data and search warrants to track and harass people with whom he had disputes. The five now-former Los Angeles deputies involved in the scheme have since been convicted.
During sentencing, prosecutors said, according to the DOJ statement: “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.”
Other recent crypto-linked fraud cases
CoinDesk also noted other recent cases. A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 12 years in prison last month over a scheme involving the impersonation of Coinbase customer service representatives. Ronald Spektor deceived about 100 people by making them believe their accounts had been hacked.
In another case, Las Vegas businessman Brent Kovar was found guilty in August of running a crypto Ponzi scheme. He defrauded at least 400 investors out of $24 million.