A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division deputy has been sentenced to greater than 5 years in jail for serving to Adam Iza, a jailed crypto founder dubbed “The Godfather,” extort victims.
A California federal court docket handed Michael Coberg 63 months in jail and an order to pay $127,000 in restitution for serving to Iza extort considered one of his rivals and prepare a drug possession arrest of one other particular person, the Los Angeles US Lawyer’s workplace mentioned on Monday.
Coberg had pleaded responsible in September to conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy in opposition to rights.
Prosecutors mentioned Coberg was paid at the very least $20,000 a month for his safety companies by Iza, the founding father of the crypto buying and selling platform Zort, who was referred to as “The Godfather.”
Iza pleaded responsible in January 2025 to extorting a number of folks and is awaiting sentencing.
Prosecutors element Coberg’s extortion, drug sting
In response to prosecutors, in October 2021, Coberg was a part of a staff that picked up a person, recognized solely as “L.A.,” who had a enterprise companion in a monetary dispute with Iza.
Coberg introduced L.A. to Iza’s home, the place Iza recorded a video of L.A. transferring $127,000 to Iza’s checking account whereas Coberg stood watch.
Coberg additionally took Iza and L.A. to a taking pictures vary, the place prosecutors mentioned Iza held L.A. at gunpoint and demanded he switch cash.
Prosecutors mentioned Coberg additionally conspired with Iza and others to arrange a sufferer, recognized solely as “R.C.,” to be arrested over medicine.
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R.C. had been concerned in a dispute the place Iza, Christopher Cadman — a former Sheriff’s Division deputy who pleaded responsible in August to serving to Iza — and one other deputy had held R.C. at gunpoint to switch $25,000 to Iza.
Coberg and others arrange a sham sting the place R.C.’s ex-girlfriend known as and satisfied them to fly to LA to make use of medicine collectively.
R.C. was picked up on the airport, pushed to get medicine and was then stopped and arrested by a Sheriff’s Division deputy that Coberg had tipped off.
Prosecutors mentioned of their sentencing memorandum for Coberg that he abused “the superior energy of his badge. And he did so for an all-too-common motive: greed.”
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