Former Girlfriend of Crypto Fraudster ‘The Godfather’ to Plead Guilty to $2.6M Tax Charge

Iris Ramaya Au, the former girlfriend of convicted crypto fraudster Adam Iza, known as “The Godfather,” has agreed to plead guilty to a federal tax charge for failing to report over $2.6 million in illicit income, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on March 5.

According to prosecutors, Au submitted a false tax return after benefiting from Iza’s illegal schemes.

Iza, who pleaded guilty in January, ran multiple fraud operations between 2020 and 2024, including selling access to fraudulently obtained Meta and Facebook advertising accounts.

The Justice Department stated that these schemes generated millions in unreported income.

Authorities: Iza’s Ex-Girlfriend Aided in Laundering Funds Through Shell Companies

Authorities allege that, under Iza’s direction, Au helped launder illicit funds by creating shell companies and opening bank accounts in their names.

She then used the proceeds to finance luxury expenses, including high-end real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and designer clothing.

Prosecutors also revealed that approximately $1 million of these funds were used to bribe Los Angeles deputies.

In addition to personal expenditures, the couple allegedly spent nearly $10 million on entertainment and acquired around $16 million in cryptocurrency.

Iza, who also founded the Zort crypto trading platform, admitted to charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion.

🚨 Crypto Founder Bribed LA Cops for Extortion Scheme 🤔

Adam Iza, founder of the crypto trading platform Zort, has been accused of paying Los Angeles deputies for sensitive information. He allegedly used this data to blackmail a victim into handing over a laptop with crypto. 😬… pic.twitter.com/IoZKDXIiny

— Ricards (@Ricardswo) September 27, 2024

He also confessed to bribing Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies for security services and to obtain search warrants targeting his financial and personal adversaries.

As part of her plea agreement, Au admitted to transferring over $2.6 million into her personal bank accounts between 2020 and 2023.

She faces up to three years in prison, while Iza, set for sentencing on June 16, could receive a maximum of 35 years.

Iza Accused of Using Stolen Data to Coerce Victim Into Surrendering Crypto-Laden Laptop

Iza is accused of using the illicitly obtained information to intimidate and coerce a person identified only as E.Z. into surrendering a laptop containing valuable cryptocurrency assets.

The accusations against Iza date back to November 2021, when a report by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department detailed a disturbing encounter between Iza and E.Z.

The two had known each other for two years and were previously involved in a crypto business together.

According to the report, while driving together, Iza requested to stop for food. As they were standing by the car afterward, an SUV pulled up, and two men exited.

One of the men, armed with a handgun, instructed E.Z. to “get in the car.”

E.Z. managed to escape and called the police, fearing that Iza was attempting to kidnap him to obtain access to his crypto assets.

When questioned by a responding officer, Iza claimed that E.Z. had agreed to give him $300,000 for some cryptocurrency.