- Iris Au, CEO of cryptocurrency trading marketplace VURG.com and girlfriend of Love Island star Davide Sanclimenti, faces up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to failing to report $2.6 million in cryptocurrency income.
- Au transferred funds obtained through her former boyfriend Iza’s criminal schemes, which included fraudulent access to Facebook/Meta advertising accounts and paying LASD deputies for private security services.
- The cryptocurrency entrepreneur used shell corporations to handle illicit funds, paying approximately $1 million to deputies and acquiring about $16 million in cryptocurrency for Iza.
A cryptocurrency executive with ties to reality TV star Davide Sanclimenti has agreed to plead guilty to tax charges involving $2.6 million in unreported cryptocurrency income. Iris Au, 35, CEO of crypto trading platform VURG.com, faces up to three years in federal prison after admitting she failed to report millions in cryptocurrency profits linked to her former boyfriend’s criminal activities.
Au, who began dating Love Island winner Sanclimenti in January 2025, became entangled in a complex financial scheme between 2020 and 2024. According to federal prosecutors, the cryptocurrency executive worked alongside her former boyfriend identified as Iza, who dubbed himself “The Godfather” and engaged in various fraudulent activities.
The United States Attorney’s Office documented how Au facilitated Iza’s criminal operations by creating shell corporations and establishing bank accounts for these entities. These accounts were used to funnel illicit funds obtained through Iza’s fraudulent schemes, which included unauthorized access to advertising accounts and credit lines from Facebook and Meta Platforms.
Court documents reveal that Au diverted more than $2.6 million from these accounts to her personal bank accounts between 2020 and 2023—income she deliberately failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service on her federal tax returns.
The scale of the operation was substantial. Au reportedly used the illicit funds to:
– Pay approximately $1 million to active Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies for private security
– Purchase or lease luxury real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and clothing
– Fund recreational activities for herself and Iza valued at nearly $10 million
– Acquire approximately $16 million in cryptocurrency for Iza
Iza himself pleaded guilty on January 30 to conspiracy against rights, wire fraud, and tax evasion. He faces up to 35 years in federal prison when sentenced on June 16. Federal authorities noted that Iza has remained in custody since September 2024.
The investigation, conducted jointly by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI, revealed that Iza had also enlisted active LASD deputies to provide private security and obtain court-authorized search warrants targeting individuals with whom he had financial and personal disputes.
Sanclimenti, who won Love Island in 2022 with then-girlfriend Ekin-Su Culculoglu, has not publicly commented on Au’s legal troubles. The Italian reality star made his relationship with Au public in January, months before the cryptocurrency executive’s legal issues became public knowledge.
Au is expected to make her initial appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming days.
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