A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded guilty to two federal crimes related to his involvement with a cryptocurrency figure, identified as “the Godfather.” Michael David Coberg, 44, from Eastvale, entered his plea on Monday, becoming the latest ex-deputy to acknowledge participation in a criminal enterprise orchestrated by Adam Iza, who also pleaded guilty this year to multiple offenses.
Coberg faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy against rights, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. He was previously employed as both a deputy and a helicopter pilot within the Sheriff’s Department. Prosecutors revealed that Coberg assisted Iza in committing extortion in October 2021. During this incident, Coberg allegedly carried a firearm and presented himself as an active law enforcement officer while overseeing the interrogation of a victim referred to in court documents as “L.A.”
While Coberg was on watch, Iza demanded that the victim transfer $127,000 into an account controlled by him, a transaction which Iza recorded on video. Following this, Iza reportedly instructed his security team to confiscate the victim’s passport. The subsequent day, while taking Iza and the victim to a shooting range at Iza’s residence, Coberg left them alone. According to the statement from prosecutors, Iza then held the victim at gunpoint, coercing him into getting a business partner to transfer additional funds, which the partner did later that day.
Coberg’s defense attorney did not comment immediately on the situation. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement indicating that Coberg had separated from the department in September 2025, emphasizing that his actions violated departmental standards.
In a prior incident in September 2021, Coberg was involved in orchestrating the arrest of an individual for drug-related offenses. During this scheme, Coberg and accomplices had the victim’s ex-girlfriend feign interest in rekindling their relationship, leading the victim to Los Angeles. After his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, a co-conspirator picked him up in a Tesla to obtain drugs. Coberg and another deputy then organized a traffic stop, during which law enforcement, unaware of the illicit plot, discovered psilocybin mushrooms and cocaine in the vehicle, resulting in the victim’s arrest. Notably, Coberg was observed driving past the incident scene in a Cadillac Escalade while Iza looked on from the back seat.
Coberg had been under scrutiny even before the charges, having been involved in four on-duty shootings from which he was cleared. A 2018 investigation by KPCC noted that Coberg claimed his superiors reassigned him to menial tasks following those incidents, which the Sheriff’s Department disputed.
Iza, aged 25 and previously residing in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, has faced legal troubles since September and is scheduled for sentencing in December. He had earlier admitted guilt to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion, creating a personal empire through fraudulent marketing and cryptocurrency schemes, which included intimidating and extorting victims, hacking Facebook accounts, and engaging in various illegal activities.
Coberg is slated for sentencing on February 17.
