PANews reported on June 4th that, according to Cryptopolitan, Adam Iza, a 25-year-old California cryptocurrency businessman nicknamed "The Godfather," has pleaded guilty to orchestrating an attempted kidnapping of a Connecticut couple and faces up to 35 years in prison. The couple's son had previously stolen 4,100 bitcoins (worth approximately $245 million) through a social engineering scam. Iza and his accomplices attempted to kidnap the parents to extort the stolen bitcoins.

In August 2024, six assailants caused a car crash and kidnapped victims in Danbury, Connecticut. One victim was beaten with a baseball bat, and two others were bound with duct tape. After witnesses called the police, an off-duty FBI agent assisted, and police located the vehicle and arrested all suspects within minutes. Iza pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of robbery, facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Additionally, Iza faces charges in California of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit crimes, and tax evasion. He admitted to fraudulently stealing $37 million from the Meta platform between 2020 and 2022 and directing off-duty officers to conduct intimidation, extortion, and illegal surveillance.