LASD Deputies Who Acted As Enforcers For Crypto 'Godfather' Admit To Federal Conspiracy

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy pleaded guilty Monday and a second LASD deputy agreed to plead guilty to federal charges for leveraging their law enforcement jobs during off-duty work as private security for clients including a now-jailed cryptocurrency businessman.

David Rodriguez, 43, of La Verne, pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to one count of conspiracy against rights, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In a related case, Christopher Cadman, 33, of Fullerton, agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of conspiracy against rights and subscribing to a false tax return. Cadman, who will face up to 13 years in federal prison after he pleads guilty, is expected to make his initial appearance in Los Angeles federal court in the coming days.

According to prosecutrors, Rodriguez and Cadman were employed by Adam Iza, 24, who lived in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. The cryptocurrency businessman who proclaimed himself "The Godfather" pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of wire fraud, and one count of tax evasion. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15, court papers show.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, in August 2021, Cadman and another unidentified law enforcement officer threatened one of Iza's adversaries, with the 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 allegedly orchestrated a traffic stop in Paramount to arrest the same victim.

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

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

In a separate plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted using his law enforcement credentials in July 2022 to improperly obtain a court-authorized search warrant, lying to a judge that it was related to a robbery investigation, prosecutors said. He allegedly then obtained GPS location information associated with another victim's cell phone on behalf of a client who hired him as a security guard.

Rodriguez shared the GPS data with co-conspirators, including Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, of Chino, an LASD deputy and former federal task force officer who ran a private security company. Saavedra pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy against rights and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.

Saavedra, who is free on $50,000 bond, is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.

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.

City News Service