Adam Iza, the founder of cryptocurrency trading platform Zort, has been charged with tax evasion and conspiracy in a bizarre tale of corrupt cops and Facebook employees, stolen digicash, and an alleged $30 million scam. According to court documents [PDF], Iza – aka Ahmed Faiq, aka "The Godfather" – is accused of paying off multiple members of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) and their associates in exchange for protection, access to police data, and getting them to arrest his enemies. Iza boasted about paying the LASD $280,000 a month to support his business – which reaped millions, but paid no taxes to Uncle Sam.
"Iza accumulated significant wealth that he and his co-conspirators funneled through shell companies," testified FBI special agent Barbara Johnson. "Iza spent the funds on personal expenses, including numerous luxury vehicles, rent payments for a Bel Air mansion, cosmetic surgery to extend the length of his legs, and numerous other luxury expenditures. During the years 2020 through 2022, Iza concealed his receipt of tens of millions of dollars and did not report any income taxes.
" Johnson claims much of the money Iza and Zort generated came from Facebook ad scams and outright cryptocurrency theft, aided by corrupt Meta employees and cops. According to the statement, Iza used police databases to illegally track his victims and intimidate them into paying him. According to the court filing, a person identified as "E.
Z." went to the FBI in June 2022, c.