Ex-Los Angeles County deputy pleads guilty to charges tied to helping now-jailed crypto mogul

A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty on Thursday, Aug. 7, to federal charges tied to leveraging his law enforcement job during off-duty work as private security for a now-jailed crypto mogul, and tax evasion.

Christopher Cadman, 33, of Fullerton entered his plea in downtown Los Angeles to charges of conspiracy against rights and subscribing to a false tax return, which together carry a possible sentence of up to 13 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Sentencing was set for Jan. 26.

Prosecutors say Cadman and another former deputy worked side hustles as private security for a Southern California crypto mogul who referred to himself as “the Godfather.”

Cadman and the second ex-deputy were employees of Adam Iza, 24, a Beverly Hills and Newport Beach businessman who pleaded guilty in January to charges of conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024, with a sentencing hearing slated for December.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Cadman and a third law enforcement officer threatened one of Iza’s adversaries, with an unnamed deputy pointing a gun at the victim during a meeting at Iza’s office inside his Bel Air mansion. Immediately after the encounter, the victim transferred nearly $25,000 to Iza’s account, prosecutors said.

The following month, Cadman and other law enforcement officers orchestrated a traffic stop in Paramount to arrest the same person, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In his plea agreement, Cadman admitted helping to organize the arrest on Iza’s behalf, and said he received cash payments while working for the crypto businessman.

Cadman also failed to report at least $40,500 on his 2021 federal tax return, and admitted to owing nearly $11,000 in federal taxes for that year, federal prosecutors said.

Ex-deputy David Rodriguez, 43, of La Verne pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge.

Rodriguez admitted using his law enforcement credentials in July 2022 to improperly obtain a court-authorized search warrant by lying to a judge that it was related to a robbery investigation, court papers show.

He then obtained GPS location information associated with another victim’s phone on behalf of a client who hired him as a security guard, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a Nov. 10 sentencing hearing for Rodriguez, who faces up to 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors noted.