If it sounds like a conspiracy theory, that’s because it almost was—until the FBI got involved.
Before A Crypto Tale – Checkmate was a film in development, it was the reality that nearly ended Enzo Zelocchi’s life. A Hollywood actor, producer, and entrepreneur, Zelocchi wasn’t chasing a plotline—he was surviving one. In 2018, after launching the early stages of a healthcare platform called A-Medicare, he became the central target of a tangled network of cybercriminals, terrorists, and corrupt law enforcement officers, all with one goal: stealing his encrypted Bitcoin wallet—and silencing him in the process.
The players were real. The threats were violent. And the conspiracy ran deeper than anyone imagined.
The Criminal Network No One Saw Coming
It started with two cybersecurity experts—on paper, just contractors hired to help draft a white paper for A-Medicare’s blockchain component. In reality, they were affiliated with UGNAZI, an underground hacktivist group infamous for high-profile data leaks, identity theft, and coordinated cyberattacks.
One of those contractors, Troy Woody Jr., would later flee to the Philippines, where he and his accomplice Mir Islam (known online as “Josh the God”) were arrested for the murder of Woody’s girlfriend, Tomi Masters. The body was found taped up and dumped in a river. The motive? She wanted to return home, and she knew too much.
But that was just the surface. Mir Islam, a U.S. fugitive and ISIS affiliate, had been sending threats to Zelocchi through encrypted messaging platforms. The demands were clear: surrender the password to the Bitcoin wallet, or face devastating consequences. It wasn’t just about money—it was about erasing a man who stood in their way.
The Man They Couldn’t Intimidate
Zelocchi didn’t cave. Instead, he documented everything. He handed over evidence to U.S. Marshals, connected with intelligence operatives, and began tracking the same men who were hunting him. What followed were months of escalating attacks: stalking, false lawsuits, cyber defamation, and a coordinated effort to smear his name in the press, including a slanderous article planted in TMZ.
But the most brazen moment came when Zelocchi was nearly kidnapped at gunpoint at a gas station in Riverside County. According to reports and witness statements, two armed men—later identified as Sheriff’s Deputies—jumped out of a black SUV and attempted to force him inside. Zelocchi resisted, physically fought off both men (twice his size), and ran bleeding into the gas station to call the police. It didn’t end there. Months later, armed men broke into his apartment during the night. Zelocchi, anticipating the move, fired back.
Why the Silence?
Despite the gravity of the threats and the eventual arrests, coverage of the story was curiously limited during the last months of the Biden administration. Some outlets hesitated to touch the case. One reason: the political discomfort around Adam Iza (also known as Ahmed Faiq), a co-conspirator and ISIS sympathizer whose family had immigrated from Iraq under the Obama administration with US tax payer money. Others balked at the layers of local law enforcement corruption, fearing blowback.
But behind the scenes, Zelocchi continued to pursue justice. A federal civil lawsuit was filed against Adam Iza and his criminal organization that includes members of the LA and Riverside Sheriff’s Departments. Meanwhile, investigative documents revealed that inmates like Mir Islam and Troy Woody were still running operations from inside their cells, using smuggled laptops and cell phones while detained for murder in the Philippines.
A Script Pulled from Hell—and Turned Into Firepower
Checkmate is more than a movie title. It’s the move Zelocchi made to take control of his own story. After withstanding everything from murder plots to psychological warfare, he decided the best way to dismantle the silence was to put the truth on screen.
The emotional cost has been steep. Friends were threatened. His reputation was dragged. His family lived in fear. But Zelocchi emerged not as a victim, but as a man with evidence, strategy, and now, a film.
As development continues on A Crypto Tale – Checkmate, the film is set to shine a harsh light on the blurred lines between crypto anarchy, domestic terrorism, and institutional failure. It’s not fiction—it’s the part of America’s story no one wanted to admit happened.
And Enzo Zelocchi? He’s making sure it won’t be forgotten.