Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office (LASD) deputies are now moonlighting as security guards for wealthy clients, including cryptocurrency entrepreneurs, using their positions while law enforcement officials blackmail and harassing private citizens, federal prosecutors said Monday.
According to the US Lawyer’s Office for the Central District of California, David Anthony Rodriguez, 43, of Raverne, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against rights. The second vice-chairman, 33, Christopher Michael Cudman, has agreed to Fullerton’s Michael Cudman pleading guilty to conspiracy against rights and to false tax returns. Cudman is expected to appear in federal court in the coming days and faces up to 13 years of prison.
Both agents previously called the “Godfather” in Adam Iza, a 24-year-old cryptocurrency businessman. IZA has acquired federal custody since September 2024 and pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. His ruling is scheduled for December 15th.
According to court documents, Kadman and another LASD aide threatened a man identified as one of Isa’s enemies at a meeting at Isa’s Bel Air Mansion in August 2021. The following month, Cadman helped organize traffic halts in Paramount, which led to the arrest of the same victim. Prosecutors said Cadman received cash payments from the IZA for these actions.
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In addition to civil rights violations, Cudman did not report at least $40,500 in revenue on his 2021 federal tax return, according to the judicial agreement. He has granted him to pay around $11,000 in unpaid taxes.
In another case, Rodriguez admitted to abuse law enforcement in July 2022 by obtaining a search warrant that grants the court by pretending to be false. Prosecutors said they mistakenly claimed that the warrant was part of a robbery investigation to secure GPS data from the victim’s mobile phone on behalf of a private client not connected to the IZA. Rodriguez later shared data with his conspirators, including LASD’s deputy Eric Chase Savedra.
Savedra, 42, of Chino, pleaded guilty in February to similar charges. He runs a private security company and has been accused of using illegally obtained telephone data to help lawmakers and others harass and threaten victims. He is free on $50,000 bonds and awaits his sentence.
Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Percy Anderson on November 10th, facing up to 10 years in federal prison.
The case is being investigated by FBI and IRS criminal investigations with support from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. This is being charged by U.S. Attorney Maxwell K. Coll, in the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes section.
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