US Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Supporting Extortion Related to Crypto

A former deputy sheriff of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been sentenced to over 5 years in prison for abusing his position to assist in extortion and staging false arrests to harm business rivals.

According to a Monday announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice, defendant Michael David Coberg (44 years old) was sentenced to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay $127,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to extort and deprivation of civil rights.

Prosecutors stated that Coberg abused his role as a deputy sheriff and helicopter pilot to assist Adam Iza — a crypto entrepreneur who calls himself the “Crypto Godfather” — in targeting business competitors.

The incident took place in 2021 and involved multiple threats aimed at resolving financial disputes. In one case, Coberg accompanied armed individuals to confront the victim and stood by while Iza threatened violence and coerced the victim into transferring $127,000. The victim’s passport was also confiscated before being released.

Authorities also described another plot in which Coberg and accomplices staged a fake arrest. The group lured the victim from Miami to Los Angeles, demanded the purchase of illegal substances, and then arranged for law enforcement to stop the vehicle and make an arrest.

“Coberg swore to defend the Constitution and laws of the United States, but betrayed that oath out of greed,” the prosecutor emphasized.