CALIFORNIA—On July 20, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California announced that former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy David Anthony Rodriguez, 45, of La Verne, was sentenced to a year in federal prison for submitting a false search warrant to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
In 2021, Rodriguez was hired by a private security firm, Saavedra & Associates, owned by his LASD colleague, Eric Chase Saavedra, 43, of Chino. One of Rodriguez’s clients was a woman in the process of divorcing her husband, referred to as “Person 1.” He worked at least two shifts guarding her. During this time, she told him her husband possessed valuable items and that she was concerned he could not be found despite multiple attempts.
In July 2022, Rodriguez submitted an affidavit for a warrant in which he falsely claimed a detective requested assistance from the LASD’s Gang Surveillance Team to locate a suspect as part of an investigation into a robbery in Cudahy three days earlier. He claimed the suspect possessed two cell phones he was seeking the precise location so the suspect could be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The missing husband’s number was used as the cell phone number. Once the warrant was approved, Rodriguez determined that the husband was in Utah and gave the information to Saavedra.
Another client for whom Rodriguez worked was Adam Iza, 25, of Newport Beach and Beverly Hills, who conducted cryptocurrency-related business. He referred to himself as “The Godfather.” He was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, and conspiracy against rights, along with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in Connecticut and California.
In July 2025, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against rights, in October, after he left the sheriff’s department.
The LASD assisted in the investigation, which was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In February 2025, Saavedra pleaded guilty to one count of making and signing a false tax return and one count of conspiracy against rights. He will be sentenced in the near future.
By Daniel Diquinzio