A federal judge sentenced former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy David Anthony Rodriguez to one year in prison Monday, July 20, 2026, for fabricating a robbery investigation to secretly track a wealthy client's estranged husband. Rodriguez used the fake case to obtain GPS data on the man during a contentious divorce, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Rodriguez, 45, of La Verne, is one of at least four former LASD deputies convicted in a federal corruption probe tied to Beverly Hills cryptocurrency businessman Adam Iza. Earlier in July 2026, another deputy in the same network was sentenced for obstructing the investigation into Iza at his Bel Air mansion.

The scheme worked like this: In July 2022, while still an active-duty deputy, Rodriguez submitted a search warrant application to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge falsely claiming a robbery had occurred in Cudahy and that a man identified only by his initials was a suspect, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. One of the cellphone numbers Rodriguez listed actually belonged to his private client's husband and had no connection to any robbery.

After the phone company turned over the GPS pings, Rodriguez tracked the husband to Utah and passed the information to fellow deputy Eric Chase Saavedra, who owned the private security company at the center of the case, according to prosecutors. Others in the scheme then placed a physical tracking device on the husband's vehicle, had it towed while he was in Los Angeles, and sent him a threatening text message.

Rodriguez had been moonlighting since 2021 for Saavedra's security firm, which employed active law enforcement officers and served wealthy clients. He worked security shifts at least twice a month for the unnamed woman, identified in court documents only as "Person 1," and was paid in cash.

Prosecutors described the conduct in a sentencing memorandum as "a calculated abuse of authority carried out with full awareness of its significance," not impulsive conduct or a momentary lapse.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of conspiracy against rights and left the Sheriff's Department in October 2025.

A broader corruption network

The case is part of a wider federal investigation into Iza, 25, who resided in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach and referred to himself as "The Godfather." Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024 after pleading guilty in California and Connecticut to charges including conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. His sentencing is pending.

In early July 2026, former LASD deputy Scott Simkins received a year and a half in federal prison for lying to investigators about witnessing Iza threaten and extort $25,000 from a party planner at Iza's Bel Air mansion, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Former deputy Michael Coberg was sentenced in March 2026 to more than five years in prison for conspiring with Iza to extort and falsely arrest rivals. Prosecutors said Coberg and other active-duty deputies acted as Iza's personal enforcers, using their badges to threaten people, obtain protected information, and stage a false drug arrest.

Saavedra, who owned the security company and supervised Rodriguez in the scheme, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiracy against rights and filing a false tax return. He awaits sentencing.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department did not respond to the Los Angeles Times' request for comment on the Rodriguez sentencing.

Residents who believe they have been targeted by someone misusing law enforcement authority can contact the FBI's Los Angeles field office at (310) 477-6565.