Key facts
- Adam Iza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
- Iza orchestrated an attempted kidnapping to seize part of a $245 million Bitcoin heist.
- The Bitcoin heist involved stealing 4,100 Bitcoins by impersonating tech support staff.
- Iza hired off-duty sheriff's deputies to act as enforcers.
- Iza admitted to stealing over $37 million from Meta Platforms' business manager accounts.
California cryptocurrency mogul Adam Iza, 25, who referred to himself as 'The Godfather,' has pleaded guilty to orchestrating an attempted kidnapping aimed at seizing a portion of a $245 million Bitcoin heist. The heist, which occurred the month prior, involved stealing 4,100 Bitcoins through an elaborate online scheme where perpetrators impersonated technical support staff for Google and a cryptocurrency exchange. The investigation into the attempted kidnapping of Veer Chetal's parents in Connecticut led authorities to uncover Iza's alleged involvement. Iza had previously hired off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies to act as enforcers for his personal and business disputes, using them to extort, intimidate, and abuse legal processes. He also admitted to stealing over $37 million by fraudulently accessing Meta Platforms' business manager accounts. The kidnapping plot, conceived by Iza and James Schwab, aimed to pressure Chetal into relinquishing some of his stolen Bitcoin. The abduction attempt itself quickly went awry when witnesses, including an off-duty FBI agent, alerted police, leading to the arrest of several individuals involved.