Adam Iza, a 26-year-old self-styled businessman who nicknamed himself “The Godfather,” was sentenced on Tuesday to 78 months in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded Meta of more than $37 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In addition to his prison sentence, Iza was convicted of tax evasion and utilizing off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to intimidate business rivals. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson ordered Iza to pay $23.4 million in restitution.
Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to charges including conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, and tax evasion. His new six-year sentence will run concurrently with a 15-year prison term he received last month in Connecticut for his involvement in an attempted Bitcoin robbery in August 2024.
Prosecutors detailed how Iza gained unauthorized access to Meta Business Manager accounts and their associated credit lines, which he then sold to various advertising companies. Meta billed clients for advertisements they did not purchase and subsequently refunded those clients.
The case highlights how cryptocurrency custodians can be exploited in broader fraud and tax-evasion operations. Iza admitted to transferring corporate income derived from the fraudulent scheme to crypto custodians while concealing his ownership of a company named Zort, authorities said.
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