Love Island Winner’s Girlfriend Jailed Over $2.6m Tax Fraud

The girlfriend of Love Island winner Davide Sanclimenti is facing an 18-month prison sentence after failing to report millions of dollars in income on her tax returns.

Iris Rabaya Au, who refers to herself as “The Goddess”, received more than $2.6 million (£1.95 million) connected to illicit funds allegedly generated by her former partner, Adam Iza. The self-described cryptocurrency businessman was known as “The Godfather”.

Au, 37, of Orange County, California, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on September 21. The ruling followed a plea agreement reached in March 2025, when she admitted one count of subscribing to a false tax return.

The mother of two was also ordered to pay $1.4 million (£1 million) in restitution as part of her sentence.

Court documents seen by the Daily Mail state that Au must forfeit a collection of luxury vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz GLS, a Porsche 911 and a Ferrari 488 Pista.

Her seized possessions also included 14 Louis Vuitton handbags, three Chanel bags and items from Prada, Burberry, Hermes, Gucci and Dior. Three “Godfather” sculptures were surrendered as well.

United States District Judge Percy Anderson imposed the sentence. Au was represented by Christopher Darden, who served as a co-prosecutor in the OJ Simpson murder trial.

The influencer describes herself as a “devoted mother, survivor, and entrepreneur”. She is now in a relationship with 31-year-old Italian reality star Sanclimenti, who won Love Island in 2022.

The pair began dating in May 2024 and confirmed their relationship publicly in January 2025, while Sanclimenti’s former partner, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, was appearing on Love Island: All-Stars.

Sanclimenti has promised to remain by his girlfriend’s side and recently offered her public support in an Instagram post.

Before her relationship with the reality television star, Au was involved with Iza, a 26-year-old accused cryptocurrency fraudster.

Iza has been held in custody since 2024 and has admitted to several offences. They include fraudulently accessing Facebook advertising accounts and selling access to them, activities he used to obtain and conceal millions of dollars in income.

Prosecutors alleged that Au established shell companies and opened bank accounts in their names at Iza’s direction.

According to prosecutors, illicit money deposited into those accounts helped fund roughly $1 million (£750,000) in payments—mostly made in cash—to serving Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies who provided Iza with private security.

The prosecution also said Iza used the deputies to secure court-approved search warrants and obtain confidential information about people involved in financial and personal disputes with him.

Authorities allege the money financed or supported luxury homes, vehicles, jewellery and clothing, as well as recreational spending that totalled almost $10 million.

Authorities said Au acquired around $16million (£12million) in cryptocurrency for her then-boyfriend using the shell accounts.

More than $2.6million (£1.95million) was transferred from various accounts into Au’s personal bank accounts between 2020 and 2023 that she did not declare to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US tax service.

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Prosecutors said she wilfully failed to declare the income to the IRS on her tax returns.

‘(Au) set up the financial infrastructure that enabled Adam Iza to move, spend, and conceal millions of dollars in fraud proceeds while she personally benefited from the wealth,’ they said.

‘Au concealed entities and income from her tax preparer and filed returns reporting only a small fraction of what she had actually received.

‘Those were affirmative acts designed to prevent the IRS from learning the true extent of her income.’

Au has suggested that she was a victim of coercion in a video she shared on social media on Sunday, the day before she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

She said in the video that she had been in ‘an abusive relationship with a former partner’ during which she ‘made mistakes, including with my taxes’.

‘I made mistakes, serious mistakes, and I take responsibility for them,’ she said.

‘Davide stayed beside me, my family stayed beside me. Whatever happens next, it’s a chapter. It’s not the end of my story.’

Davide, in a supportive comment, wrote: ‘I know how much you’ve suffered and you never deserved any of this. 

‘I’m proud of how strong you’ve been through everything, you gave me strength too… and I really believe there’s so much light and good ahead for you. You’ll come out of this even stronger.’

Au replied: ‘Thank you for staying by my side through my hardest seasons & loving me through all the healing. I love you.’

Davide had previously told the Mail that he knew of his girlfriend’s legal troubles when they first met, telling us in March: ‘The truth is that I knew about her situation from the start which is why I was protecting her.

‘Iris is an amazing person who has been through difficult situations that most people could never understand.

‘There’s so much of this extraordinary story that people don’t know yet. I will be there by her side to supply her as she deserves all the support and understanding.’

Adam Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion.

He is due to appear in court on October 5, and is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence over his involvement in an attempted Bitcoin robbery and kidnapping in Connecticut in August 2024.

Au made no comment as she left the courthouse following sentencing alongside Davide and two friends, influencer Alli Stavro and personal injury lawyer Tina Odjaghian.

Ms Odjaghian posted a picture of herself, Ms Stavro and Au to her Instagram Stories following the hearing, captioning it: ‘Friends show up for friends no matter what.’