Adam Iza Case: Who Is Police Officer Eric Saavedra?

Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy, was sentenced 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 earned through private security work for Adam Iza, the self-described “Crypto Godfather.” Iza is serving a separate 15-year federal sentence for his role in an attempted Bitcoin robbery and kidnapping in Connecticut.

Saavedra’s Security Business and Iza

Saavedra operated Saavedra & Associates, a private security company that Iza hired to provide round-the-clock protection. According to court documents, the company was paid about $100,000 per month for security services from August 2021 through March 2022. The arrangement resumed in July 2024 and continued until Iza was arrested in September.

Saavedra admitted that he used his LASD credentials to obtain restricted information about people involved in disputes with Iza. He accessed law enforcement databases for personal purposes and obtained information about targets, their associates and family members.

His plea agreement also detailed several instances in which he used his law enforcement position on Iza’s behalf. In one case, Saavedra created a false search warrant and used it to pressure a person into paying for security services.

He also provided misleading information to a narcotics detective, contributing to a drug raid involving someone who had been targeted by Iza. In a separate incident, Saavedra falsely represented that a cellphone number was part of a firearms investigation to obtain a warrant to track the phone.

After obtaining the location, Saavedra passed the information to Iza. Prosecutors said armed individuals later attempted to enter the targeted person’s home while searching for a laptop believed to hold a substantial amount of cryptocurrency.

At sentencing, Saavedra acknowledged that he had violated the trust placed in him as a law enforcement officer. He separated from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on March 13, 2025.

Saavedra Is Fifth Former Deputy Sentenced

Saavedra is the fifth former LASD deputy to receive a sentence in the broader investigation surrounding Iza. The other former deputies are Michael Coberg, Scott Simpkins, David Rodriguez and Christopher Cadman.

Although the defendants faced separate charges and allegations, the cases were connected to an investigation into the alleged misuse of law enforcement resources and authority in matters involving Iza.

Iza’s criminal proceedings are separate from Saavedra’s case. He is currently serving a 15-year federal sentence stemming from an attempted Bitcoin robbery and kidnapping in Connecticut in August 2024.

In California, Iza separately pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion and is awaiting sentencing.

The investigation has connected cryptocurrency-related disputes with allegations involving private security, misuse of police databases and intimidation. Saavedra’s sentence resolves his federal case, while Iza’s California proceedings remain ongoing.