Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy, was sentenced Monday to 21 months in federal prison 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 to the IRS. Prosecutors said he concealed more than $373,000 in income he received while providing private security services for Adam Iza, the self-styled crypto “Godfather.” Iza is serving a separate 15-year federal sentence connected to an attempted Bitcoin robbery and kidnapping in Connecticut.
Who Is Eric Saavedra? Security Firm Linked to Adam Iza
Saavedra founded Saavedra & Associates, a private security company that provided protection for Iza. According to Saavedra’s plea agreement, the company supplied round-the-clock security beginning in August 2021, with Iza typically paying about $100,000 per month. The arrangement continued until March 2022 and resumed after Iza returned to Los Angeles in July 2024, continuing until his arrest in September of that year.
Saavedra staffed at least two guards for Iza and sometimes worked security shifts himself. His company also recruited active LASD deputies and other law enforcement personnel for the assignments.
As part of his plea, Saavedra admitted using his law enforcement credentials to improperly access sensitive databases and obtain personal information about people who had personal or business disputes with Iza, as well as their associates and relatives.
In one incident, Saavedra created a fake search warrant and used it to intimidate an individual into paying for security services. In another, he misled a narcotics detective, which led to a drug raid involving a man Iza had previously extorted.
Saavedra also admitted falsely claiming that he needed a warrant to track an individual’s cellphone as part of a firearms investigation. After obtaining the warrant and locating the person, he provided the information to Iza. Prosecutors said three armed individuals later attempted to enter the person’s home.
During sentencing, Saavedra acknowledged abusing the trust associated with his badge. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said his conduct represented a serious breach of the department’s oath, values and public trust. Saavedra separated from the department on March 13, 2025.
Saavedra’s Case Is Part of the Broader Iza Investigation
Saavedra was the fifth former LASD deputy sentenced in the broader investigation involving Iza. Other former deputies sentenced in connection with the case include Michael Coberg, Scott Simpkins, David Rodriguez and Christopher Cadman. Their cases involved different conduct, including obstruction, extortion-related activity and misuse of law enforcement authority.
The investigation has highlighted allegations that off-duty law enforcement officers were hired through Saavedra’s security company to provide services for Iza. Federal prosecutors said Saavedra’s misuse of law enforcement access went beyond ordinary private security work and involved obtaining information and using official processes against people connected to Iza’s disputes.
Iza’s legal proceedings are separate from Saavedra’s case. Iza pleaded guilty in California in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion and is awaiting sentencing in that case. Separately, he pleaded guilty in Connecticut in June 2026 to a robbery-related conspiracy stemming from an attempted Bitcoin robbery and kidnapping in August 2024, for which he is serving a 15-year federal sentence.
The two proceedings involve different charges and jurisdictions, although both are connected to the broader criminal investigation surrounding Iza.
For the crypto industry, the case illustrates that investigations involving digital assets can extend beyond exchanges, wallets and blockchain transactions. In the Iza investigation, federal prosecutors also alleged the use of conventional tools of intimidation and law enforcement access alongside cryptocurrency-related activity.
Saavedra’s September 2026 sentencing concludes his criminal case in connection with the Iza investigation, while Iza’s separate California sentencing remains pending.
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