Adam Iza, a 26-year-old who called himself “The Godfather,” has received a 78-month federal prison sentence for defrauding Meta of more than $37 million, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered Iza to pay $23.4 million in restitution. His convictions included tax evasion and the use of off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to intimidate people he regarded as rivals.
Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. His 78-month term will be served concurrently with a 15-year sentence handed down in Connecticut last month for his involvement in an attempted bitcoin robbery in August 2024.
Prosecutors said the Meta fraud centered on access to Meta Business Manager accounts and their associated credit lines. Iza allegedly obtained that access and sold it to advertising companies. Meta then billed customers for advertisements they had not purchased and subsequently issued refunds.
The investigation also showed that cryptocurrency was used to move proceeds from the broader operation. According to the DOJ, Iza admitted transferring corporate income linked to the fraud to crypto custodians while concealing his ownership of Zort.
Prosecutors said Iza collected at least $36.4 million in income from the scheme, producing an estimated $13.3 million tax loss for the IRS.
Law-Enforcement Access
Iza’s activities extended beyond the financial fraud. Between 2021 and 2022, he allegedly paid off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to obtain confidential law-enforcement records, personal information and search warrants.
The information was used to track and harass individuals with whom Iza had disputes, prosecutors said. All five former Los Angeles deputies connected to the operation have since been convicted.
During sentencing, prosecutors said people with significant financial resources cannot use their wealth to obtain confidential databases, investigative tools, warrants, arrests, badges or firearms for use in personal conflicts, according to the DOJ.
The sentencing comes amid a broader U.S. crackdown on cryptocurrency-related fraud.
Ronald Spektor, a Brooklyn resident, was sentenced to 12 years in prison last month after impersonating Coinbase customer-service representatives and misleading about 100 victims into believing their accounts had been compromised.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas businessman Brent Kovar was convicted in August for operating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that prosecutors said defrauded at least 400 investors of $24 million.
