A deputy admitted using a fake search warrant to secretly obtain a man’s cellphone location for a private client, exposing how court-approved surveillance powers can be abused and why the case ended in a federal prison sentence.
Key Takeaways
A sheriff’s deputy received 12 months in federal prison for using a false affidavit to obtain cellphone location data.Prosecutors said he tracked a private client’s estranged husband instead of a legitimate robbery suspect.The case is tied to cryptocurrency businessman Adam Iza, who has pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes.David Anthony Rodriguez, 45, was sentenced Monday to one year in federal prison after admitting he submitted a false search warrant application to secretly obtain a man’s cellphone location for a private client.
The DOJ stated:
“Rodriguez obtained a search warrant for the victim by lying in an affidavit to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.”
The affidavit falsely stated that Rodriguez had identified a robbery suspect who used two cellphones. He then claimed the victim’s cellphone number belonged to that suspect and sought GPS precision location information, despite knowing the victim had no connection to the robbery.
After serving the warrant on the phone provider, Rodriguez obtained location pings, tracked the victim to Utah, and shared the information with Eric Chase Saavedra, another former LASD deputy who owned a private security company.
Adam Iza Cases Extend From Deputy Scheme to Bitcoin KidnappingRodriguez worked private security assignments for wealthy Los Angeles-area clients while serving as an active-duty deputy. One was Adam Iza, a self-described cryptocurrency businessman who lived in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach.
Prosecutors said Saavedra’s company regularly employed active deputies and other law enforcement officers. Rodriguez admitted he knew participants had unlawfully obtained information and used it to threaten, intimidate or oppress people.
False Warrant Bypassed Surveillance SafeguardsProsecutors said Rodriguez bypassed judicial safeguards by placing false claims in a sworn affidavit. The DOJ noted:
“This was not impulsive conduct or a momentary lapse in judgment. It was a calculated abuse of authority carried out with full awareness of its significance.”
Saavedra pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiracy against rights and making and subscribing to a false tax return. He is awaiting sentencing.
