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A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy and helicopter pilot has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy charges that could land him behind bars for up to 30 years.
Coberg’s plea is the latest law enforcement conviction linked to Adam Iza, who branded himself the “Crypto Godfather” while running fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes and paying off corrupt deputies.
Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024 and is awaiting sentencing in December.
A deputy for hire
Coberg reportedly pocketed at least $20,000 a month from Iza. At one point, the two had plans of setting up a steroid-selling venture. However, most of Coberg’s work involved using his badge and authority to intimidate Iza’s rivals.
In one case that occurred in September 2021, Coberg and a group of guards abducted a businessman known in court papers as “L.A.” and delivered him to Iza’s home. While Iza flashed his firearms at L.A, Coberg identified himself as an active-duty deputy and grilled the man over a financial dispute. The victim, under pressure, sent $127,000 to an account controlled by Iza.
Another incident happened in August 2021, with Coberg facilitating a fake arrest. He worked with Iza to lure another victim, called “R.C.,” from Miami to Los Angeles. When R.C. arrived, and a co-conspirator who picked him up drove with him to get drugs, after which he was met with a bogus traffic stop by another corrupt deputy, Christopher Michael Cadman.
Cadman, who was working with Coberg, found drugs in R.C.’s vehicle and carried out the arrest, while Iza filmed the scene from an SUV that was driven by Coberg. Coberg later texted Cadman, thanking him for the favor and adding, “the kid enjoyed it.”
Cadman has also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in January 2026. Coberg, on the other hand, has his sentencing set for February 17, 2026.
The crash of the ‘Crypto Godfather’
Prosecutors say Iza built his reputation as the “Crypto Godfather” by mixing “fraudulent marketing and cryptocurrency schemes” with intimidation. Deputies who should have been upholding the law instead became his enforcers, giving his schemes a veneer of authority.
In January this year, Iza and another deputy, Eric Chase Saavedra, admitted to federal crimes, including wire fraud and tax evasion.
For Coberg, his guilty plea adds him to the list of law enforcement officers caught up in Iza’s orbit. It’s also not a good look for the sheriff’s department, given how the so-called Crypto Godfather was able to get its personnel as guns for hire.
Trust in LASD shaken again
The LASD is taking considerable heat. The department has worked to regain the public’s trust after facing incidents of misconduct and corruption by its officers.
While the Department cooperated with the federal probe and was active in ensuring that the bad actors are brought to book, critics say the fact that multiple deputies signed on with Iza points to institutional failures.
The fallout from the Crypto Godfather’s rise is likely to linger far beyond the officers’ convictions.
The investigation, led by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation, with help from LASD, is still ongoing. For now, Coberg and his co-conspirators are awaiting various sentences that could keep them behind bars for decades.
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