A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy and helicopter pilot, Michael David Coberg, was sentenced on Mar. 16 to 63 months in federal prison for his role in helping a cryptocurrency businessman extort a rival and orchestrate a false arrest of another adversary in Paramount in 2021.
Coberg, age 44 and from Eastvale, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy against rights. United States District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered him to pay $127,000 in restitution. The case highlights the misuse of law enforcement authority for personal gain and the impact such actions have on public trust.
According to court documents, Coberg worked with Adam Iza, a self-described “Godfather” involved in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Iza paid Coberg at least $20,000 per month as a business partner and advisor. Prosecutors said, “Coberg swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States. Instead, [he] betrayed that oath and those he swore to protect, abusing the awesome power of his badge. And he did so for an all-too-common reason: greed.”
In October 2021, Coberg participated in detaining a victim identified as “L.A.” at Iza’s residence where Iza displayed firearms and forced the victim to transfer $127,000 under threat. In another incident in September 2021, Coberg conspired with Iza and others to lure another victim from Miami under false pretenses leading to a staged drug arrest by corrupt deputies. Christopher Michael Cadman, another LASD deputy involved in these acts, has also pleaded guilty.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California supports community outreach through programs focused on victim assistance and public education according to its official website. The office serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties according to its official website and focuses on prosecuting federal criminal cases as well as handling civil matters for the government according to its official website. E. Martin Estrada has held the position of United States Attorney for this district according to its official website. The office works with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to ensure public safety according to its official website.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation led the investigation into this matter with assistance from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll prosecuted the case.
