Adam Iza sentenced to 78 months and $23.4 million restitution over Meta fraud and sheriff's deputy scheme
A federal judge sentenced Adam Iza, who called himself 'The Godfather', to 78 months and $23.4 million restitution for a Meta fraud, tax evasion and hiring sheriff's deputies.
Read this event in 日本語
Why it matters
The sentence resolves the federal fraud and tax case against Iza, though it adds no time beyond his existing 15-year term. The case also ended in convictions of five former sheriff's deputies.
Where the sources disagree
Date of sentencing
$23.4 million
Decrypt
$37 million
Bitcoin.com News
Bitcoin.com News gives Oct. 5, while CoinDesk says the Justice Department announced it Tuesday (Oct. 6).
Figures that do not reconcile
Found by comparing the numbers in the reports automatically. They are differences, not yet confirmed to be about the same thing.
reported count (accounts credit lines)
$36.4 million
CoinDesk
$23.4 million
NewsBTC
CoinDesk reports $36.4 million, NewsBTC reports $23.4 million (36% apart).
reported value
$23.4 million
CoinDesk
$37 million
Bitcoin.com News
CoinDesk reports $23.4 million, Bitcoin.com News reports $37 million (37% apart).
Key facts
Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Adam Iza to 78 months in federal prison.
78 monthsReported by Decrypt
Iza was ordered to pay $23,402,766 in restitution.
23,402,766 USDReported by Decrypt
Prosecutors said Iza stole more than $37 million from Meta through access to business-manager accounts and credit lines.
37,000,000 USDDisputed figureReported by Decrypt
Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion.
Reported by Decrypt
CoinDesk reported prosecutors said Iza received at least $36.4 million and caused an estimated $13.3 million tax loss.
36,400,000 USDDisputed figureReported by CoinDesk
What happened
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Adam Iza, 26, to 78 months in federal prison and ordered $23,402,766 in restitution, according to the Justice Department statement cited by CoinDesk, Decrypt and Bitcoin.com News. Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors said he fraudulently gained access to Meta business-manager accounts and credit lines and took more than $37 million, and he used off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies to intimidate people he saw as rivals. CoinDesk reported that prosecutors put his receipts at at least $36.4 million and the tax loss at an estimated $13.3 million. The term runs concurrently with the 15-year Connecticut sentence for an attempted bitcoin robbery, so Decrypt noted it adds no time served. Decrypt and Bitcoin.com News reported that five former deputies have been convicted. Bitcoin.com News reported that Meta refunded customers billed for ads they had not ordered. Sources give the sentencing date differently: Bitcoin.com News says Oct. 5, while CoinDesk cites a Tuesday announcement.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by Decrypt
Crypto 'Godfather' Gets Six Years for Hiring Sheriff's Deputies, $37M Meta Fraud
- Update
Iza pleads guilty
Guilty plea to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion.
- Official statement
Iza sentenced to 78 months in California
Judge Percy Anderson also ordered $23.4 million restitution.
- Update
Iza sentenced in Connecticut to 15 years
Sentence for an attempted bitcoin robbery, imposed in September.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by CoinDesk
Self-styled 'Godfather' gets 6 years in prison for $37 million Meta fraud scheme
- Official statement
Official statement from Bitcoin.com News
So-Called Crypto ‘Godfather’ Gets 78 Months as $37M Meta Fraud Unravels
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 6 Oct 2026, 10:36 UTC: Decrypt — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 6 Oct 2026, 12:31 UTC: CoinDesk — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 6 Oct 2026, 16:00 UTC: NewsBTC — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 7 Oct 2026, 03:45 UTC: Bitcoin.com News, official — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
Affected entities
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin.com News Company, official | So-Called Crypto ‘Godfather’ Gets 78 Months as $37M Meta Fraud Unravels | Independent | |
| Decrypt Crypto media | Crypto 'Godfather' Gets Six Years for Hiring Sheriff's Deputies, $37M Meta Fraud | Original | |
| CoinDesk Crypto media | Self-styled 'Godfather' gets 6 years in prison for $37 million Meta fraud scheme | Independent | |
| NewsBTC Crypto media | Crypto ‘Godfather’ Gets 78 Months For $37M Meta Fraud Scheme | Independent |
Related events
Irvine Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Hiding Undeclared $2.6M in Fraud Proceeds
Iris Rabaya Au, 37, got 18 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $1,484,343 after hiding more than $2.6M in fraud proceeds tied to Adam Iza.
Illinois and crypto groups ask a judge to delay 0.2% digital asset tax to July 2027
Illinois and two crypto groups asked a Sangamon County judge on October 1 to postpone the state's 0.2% digital asset tax from January 1 to July 1, 2027.
Bitcoin.com reports Kiyosaki divides income into earned, portfolio and passive types
Bitcoin.com News reported that Robert Kiyosaki used three income categories, earned, portfolio and passive, in a Sept. 23 X post, alongside claims about U.S. tax treatment.
IRS extended federal filing deadline for 2025 crypto returns lands Oct. 15, 2026
Crypto.News reports U.S. taxpayers who filed for an extension must file their 2025 federal returns, including digital-asset income, by Oct. 15, 2026, though tax owed was due in April.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Crypto Fraud Scheme Involving Offshore Gambling Site
Elmin Redzepagic, 25, of Wolcott, Connecticut pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and false statements after routing investor funds to Stake.com.
Awaken Tax survey finds 1 in 5 US crypto investors unsure of 1099-DA accuracy
Awaken Tax polled 1,000 US crypto investors in August; 21% of filers or extension filers still await exchange data and another 21% doubt their 1099-DA is complete or correct.