A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy pleaded guilty Monday to federal conspiracy charges for helping a fraudulent cryptocurrency promoter extort a rival and orchestrate a false drug arrest of another.
Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale, admitted to conspiring with Adam Iza, a self-described “Godfather” involved in crypto scams and fraudulent marketing, to intimidate and extract money from Iza's adversaries.
Coberg, who left the LASD earlier this month, was then a deputy and helicopter pilot for the department, but moonlighted as Iza’s associate, security detail and advisor, earning at least $20,000 per month, according to the United States Department of Justice.
According to Coberg’s plea agreement, in October 2021, he helped Iza forcibly obtain $127,000 from one v