Iris Ramaya Au Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges

Iris Ramaya Au, the ex-girlfriend of crypto entrepreneur Adam Iza, known as “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 facilitating Iza’s fraudulent activities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the 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, linked to a series of criminal activities spanning several years.

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

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

Authorities allege Iza also engaged in violent activities, including a failed home invasion in 2022, to steal crypto.

In 2018, Iza allegedly impersonated the FBI to steal crypto at gunpoint, holding a victim and his girlfriend hostage to demand 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 facing charges for allegedly misusing 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 Iza’s hearing scheduled for June 16.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair