Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies have found themselves on the other side of the law, having agreed to plead guilty in connection with a scheme to use their police powers to benefit a cryptocurrency businessman’s agenda against his rivals. Deputy Christopher Michael Cadman, 33, is expected to plead guilty to conspiracy against rights and filing a false tax return. His colleague, David Anthony Rodriguez, 43, already entered a guilty plea for one count of conspiracy against rights, as reported by KCAL News.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the deputies were employed by Adam Iza, who dubbed himself “The Godfather” and is currently in federal custody on multiple charges, including wire fraud and tax evasion. Documents reveal a particularly stark incident where Cadman and an unnamed deputy allegedly coerced a rival of Iza at gunpoint, resulting in a $25,000 transfer to Iza. Later on, Cadman supposedly orchestrated a bogus arrest of the same victim in a separate harrowing act of intimidation, as detailed by KTLA.
Further transgressions by Rodriguez came to light involving a falsified search warrant to track a victim’s cell phone GPS data. This data was consequently delivered to co-conspirators who allegedly used the information to harass and intimidate the victim. Among those co-conspirators was Eric Chase Saavedra, another LASD deputy who ran a private security firm and has since pleaded guilty to related charges, according to a Department of Justice press release.
The fallout from these admissions is significant, with both deputies terminated from the Sheriff’s Department—Rodriguez in October 2023, and Cadman one year later. “These alleged actions, as detailed in federal court documents, are deeply disturbing and do not reflect the values of our Department or the dedicated work of the vast majority of our deputies who serve with integrity,” the LASD expressed in a statement that KCAL News obtained. The investigation, unfolding with the cooperation of the LASD, is further spearheaded by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation division. Rodriguez is scheduled for sentencing on November 10, and Cadman faces up to 13 years in prison once he formally enters his guilty plea.
