A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy pleaded responsible Monday to 2 federal crimes in connection along with his aspect work for a cryptocurrency magnate who referred to himself as “the Godfather.”
Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale is the most recent of a number of former deputies to confess participation within the sprawling unlawful enterprise run by Adam Iza, who pleaded responsible this yr to an array of crimes.
Coberg faces as much as 30 years in federal jail after pleading responsible to conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy towards rights, in line with a press release by the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Los Angeles.
Coberg, who was a deputy and Sheriff’s Division helicopter pilot, helped Iza commit extortion in October 2021, in line with the assertion.
Coberg carried a gun and recognized himself as energetic legislation enforcement whereas working for Iza, prosecutors stated, and he “interrogated” a sufferer referred to in court docket data by the initials “L.A.”
“Whereas Coberg stood watch over the sufferer, Iza demanded — and recorded a video of — the sufferer transferring $127,000 to a checking account Iza managed,” the assertion stated. “Iza then directed his safety guards to remove the sufferer’s passport.”
The following day, “Coberg took Iza and the sufferer to a capturing vary in Iza’s residence and left the 2 people alone,” the assertion stated. “Iza then held the sufferer at gunpoint and demanded the sufferer’s enterprise associate switch cash to him, which the sufferer’s enterprise associate did later that day.”
An legal professional for Coberg didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Monday.
“The previous worker separated from the Sheriff’s Division on September 4, 2025,” the division stated in an emailed assertion. “The actions this particular person engaged in are reprehensible and are a transparent violation of our Division requirements.”
In September 2021, Coberg labored on Iza’s behalf to arrange somebody to be arrested for medication, the U.S. legal professional’s workplace wrote.
In that incident, prosecutors stated, Coberg and others had the sufferer’s ex-girlfriend act like she wished to reconnect. The ex invited her former associate to go to L.A. so they may use medication collectively, in line with prosecutors.
After the sufferer arrived at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport, prosecutors stated, a “co-conspirator” arrived in a Tesla and took them to purchase medication. The driving force then went to Paramount, the place Coberg and one other former sheriff’s deputy organized for a visitors cease.
A deputy — who prosecutors stated was not aware about the illicit scheme — searched the automobile after being tipped off and located psilocybin mushrooms and cocaine, and arrested the sufferer.
“Through the arrest, Coberg slowly drove previous the scene in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV — with the window rolled down — as Iza watched from the again passenger seat,” the U.S. legal professional’s workplace’s assertion stated.
Even earlier than he confronted prices, Coberg confronted scrutiny for his actions as a deputy. In 2018, a KPCC investigation discovered that Coberg had been concerned in 4 on-duty shootings, all of which have been discovered to be throughout the legislation.
In line with the report, Coberg alleged that due to the shootings, his bosses pulled him off an elite anti-gang unit and assigned him menial duties comparable to cleansing autos and gear — claims disputed by the Sheriff’s Division.
Iza, 25, beforehand of Beverly Hills and Newport Seashore, has been in jail since final September and is because of be sentenced in December. He pleaded responsible in January to prices of conspiracy towards rights, wire fraud and tax evasion.
Iza constructed a mini-empire off “fraudulent advertising and cryptocurrency schemes,” the U.S. legal professional’s workplace’s Monday assertion stated. Iza made hundreds of thousands on-line whereas intimidating and extorting individuals, illegally hacking Fb accounts and interesting in different legal exercise.
Coberg is because of be sentenced on Feb. 17.
