LOS ANGELES
A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy and helicopter pilot was sentenced Monday to 63 months in federal prison for helping a jailed cryptocurrency fraudster extort a rival and orchestrate the false arrest of another adversary in Paramount in 2021, officials stated Monday.
Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson, who also ordered him to pay $127,000 in restitution.
Coberg pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion and one count of conspiracy against rights.
Prosecutors said Coberg worked on the side with Adam Iza, 25, formerly of Beverly Hills and Newport Coast, a self-styled “Godfather” involved in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024 and has pleaded guilty to federal charges. He is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
Coberg was paid at least $20,000 a month to work as a business partner and adviser to Iza, not merely as security.
Prosecutors said Coberg abused his position to intimidate victims.
“Coberg swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Instead, he betrayed that oath and abused the power of his badge for greed.”
In October 2021, Coberg helped bring a victim to Iza’s home during a financial dispute. Iza displayed firearms and forced the victim to transfer $127,000 to an account he controlled while Coberg stood guard and identified himself as a law enforcement officer.
The following month, Coberg helped orchestrate a plan to lure another rival from Miami to Los Angeles, where deputies conducted a traffic stop that led to the victim’s arrest after drugs were found in the vehicle.
Prosecutors said the stop was based on false information supplied by Coberg.
Another former LASD deputy, Christopher Michael Cadman, 34, of Fullerton, pleaded guilty in August 2025 for his role and is awaiting sentencing.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.