Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy and federal task-force officer, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on September 28 after pleading guilty to conspiracy against rights and making and subscribing to a false tax return.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered Saavedra to pay $90,984 in restitution. According to the Justice Department, Saavedra concealed more than $373,000 in income he received while providing private security services for Adam Iza, the self-styled cryptocurrency businessman known as “The Godfather.”
Who Is Eric Saavedra? His Security Firm’s Role in the Iza Case
Saavedra founded Saavedra & Associates LLC, a private security company that employed active law enforcement officers and provided protection for clients. Iza hired the company for around-the-clock security from August 2021 through March 2022, paying roughly $100,000 per month. The security arrangement resumed in July 2024 and continued until Iza was arrested in September 2024.
Beginning in late 2021, Saavedra admitted that he repeatedly used his LASD credentials to access sensitive law enforcement databases and obtain personal information about people involved in disputes with Iza, along with their associates and family members. Prosecutors said Saavedra knew he was not authorized to use the information for private matters but did so to maintain his lucrative relationship with Iza.
Saavedra also admitted using his position as a law enforcement officer to improperly obtain court-authorized search warrants involving people targeted by Iza. In one case, he obtained a warrant to track a victim’s cellphone after falsely claiming the phone number was connected to a firearms investigation.
According to court documents, Saavedra then provided the victim’s location to Iza. In March 2022, three armed men attempted to force their way into the victim’s home in an effort to steal a laptop believed to contain more than $100 million in cryptocurrency. The men fled after the victim fired a gunshot.
The case also involved Saavedra’s use of law enforcement access to obtain information that could be used to threaten, intimidate, harass or extort people involved in Iza’s personal and business disputes. Prosecutors said the group used encrypted messaging services, including Telegram, in an effort to avoid detection.
Saavedra also admitted receiving approximately $373,146 in unreported income and filing a false 2021 tax return. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit luxury goods that prosecutors said were purchased through the conspiracy, including Louis Vuitton bags and wallets, Gucci shoes and a money-counting machine.
Saavedra Is the Fifth Former Deputy Sentenced
Saavedra is the fifth former LASD deputy to be sentenced in the broader federal investigation involving Iza. The other former deputies are Michael Coberg, Scott Simpkins, David Rodriguez and Christopher Cadman. Their cases involved different allegations, including extortion, obstruction, false warrant applications and misuse of law enforcement authority.
The cases involving Saavedra and Iza are separate proceedings. Iza is serving a 15-year federal sentence following his conviction in Connecticut for his role in an attempted Bitcoin robbery and kidnapping in August 2024.
Iza also pleaded guilty in California to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. His California sentencing is scheduled for October 5 before Judge Anderson, according to the Justice Department.
The broader investigation shows how the alleged criminal activity surrounding Iza extended beyond cryptocurrency transactions. Federal prosecutors described a network in which private security arrangements, law enforcement credentials, court processes and cryptocurrency-related disputes became intertwined.
Saavedra’s sentencing resolves his federal case, while Iza continues to face separate proceedings in California in addition to the 15-year sentence already imposed in Connecticut.
