rewrite this title Former Girlfriend of LA ‘Godfather’ Agrees to Plead Guilty Over $2.6M Tax Fraud – Decrypt

Iris Ramaya Au, the ex-girlfriend of crypto entrepreneur Adam Iza, who went by the alias “The Godfather,” has agreed to plead guilty to federal tax charges. 

In a plea filed Tuesday, Au, 35, admitted to failing to report over $2.6 million in “ill-gotten gains” derived from her ex-boyfriend’s sprawling criminal operations. 

Au now faces up to three years in federal prison for her role in facilitating Iza’s fraudulent activities, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Central District of California’s statement.

From 2020 to 2023, Au used shell companies and illicitly obtained funds to finance a lavish lifestyle alongside Iza, including luxury cars, real estate, and crypto. 

Au’s agreement with the Department of Justice revealed she transferred illicit funds into her personal accounts, failing to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service. 

Prosecutors allege she was aware of the origin of the funds.

In September 2024, Iza, 24, was arrested and charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion, all linked to a series of criminal activities stretching over several years. 

Over the course of their scheme, the couple spent approximately $10 million on luxury recreational activities, and Iza acquired $16 million in crypto with the fraudulent funds, prosecutors said.

The crypto godfather’s criminal career peaked when he used his platform, Zort, a crypto trading platform, to carry out large-scale fraud, including defrauding Meta of $37 million by manipulating Facebook advertising accounts. 

Authorities allege Iza also stole significant amounts of crypto by engaging in violent activities, including a failed home invasion in 2022.

In 2018, he allegedly impersonated the FBI to steal crypto at gunpoint, holding a victim and his girlfriend hostage while demanding laptop passwords.

In January, the crypto criminal pled guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion.

In his plea, Iza admitted to using off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies to harass his business rivals and engage in unlawful activities, including fabricating search warrants. 

One of the deputies, Eric Chase Saavedra, is also facing charges, over allegations he misused his position to assist Iza in intimidating victims and stealing confidential law enforcement data.

Iza now faces up to 35 years in prison, after allegedly relying on extortion, fraud, and systemic abuse of power.

Au, who aided in laundering the proceeds, has agreed to cooperate with authorities and will be sentenced alongside Iza later this year, with the latter’s hearing scheduled for June 16.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair