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Federal court orders prison term and restitution

In a Meta fraud case in the United States, 26-year-old Adam Iza, who described himself as "The Godfather," was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for a scheme that caused Meta losses of more than $37 million. The U.S. Department of Justice said the ruling was announced on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered Iza to pay $23.4 million in restitution. The case file also found that, in addition to tax evasion, Iza used off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies to intimidate people he considered rivals.

Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. The 78-month sentence will run alongside the 15-year prison term he received in Connecticut last month for his role in a failed bitcoin robbery attempt in August 2024.

The scheme was built through Meta Business Manager accounts

According to prosecutors, Iza gained access to Meta Business Manager accounts and the credit lines tied to them. He then sold that access to advertising firms to generate illicit proceeds.

Customers were billed for ads they never bought

The investigation laid out how weaknesses in digital advertising infrastructure were exploited:

  • Unauthorized access was obtained to ad accounts linked to Meta.
  • The credit facilities attached to those accounts were sold to third-party advertising firms.
  • Customers were billed for advertising they had not purchased and were later refunded.

Officials said the operation enabled more than $37 million in fraud. The case has renewed attention on the financial risks created when account access and credit limits in ad tech are abused.

Crypto custody accounts and tax evasion came into focus

According to the Justice Department, the case was not limited to misuse of Meta accounts. Iza also admitted that he funneled corporate proceeds linked to the fraud through a company called Zort, which he concealed his ownership of, and into crypto custody services.

Officials say the case illustrates how crypto custody services can be used in broader fraud and tax evasion schemes. The file now stands as another example of financial crime investigations at the intersection of technology platforms and crypto services.

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