County Employees Charged with Stealing COVID-19 Relief Funds
Thirteen Los Angeles County employees are facing felony grand theft charges for allegedly defrauding the state’s unemployment system while continuing to collect their regular county salaries. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges Wednesday, revealing the employees collectively received over $430,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits between 2020 and 2023.
“We will not tolerate this type of illegal conduct by anyone, but especially by county employees who are given that additional trust,” Hochman stated during a press conference.
The scheme exploited unemployment insurance programs launched by the federal government and California in 2020 to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller’s Office estimates the county itself lost over $3.75 million to pandemic-related unemployment fraud, contributing to a staggering $10 billion in losses for public and private employers across Los Angeles County.
An investigation by the Auditor-controller’s Office revealed the 13 full-time county employees falsely claimed unemployment benefits through the Employment Growth Department (EDD), essentially stating they were out of work. Hochman emphasized that the employees signed these applications under penalty of perjury.
The accused represent a range of county agencies, including the Department of Children and Family Services, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Department of Public Social Services. Their ages range from 42 to 58. The largest alleged theft – $57,900 – was committed by a 49-year-old social worker from the Department of Children and Family Services.
Investigators thoroughly examined the possibility of identity theft, but steadfast it was not a factor in these cases. Hochman underscored the blatant contradiction: “These county employees, who were receiving their county check every two weeks, were concurrently telling EDD they were unemployed.”
each employee faces a potential sentence of up to three years in state prison if convicted on the grand theft charges.
