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11 additional L.A. County workers charged for alleged unemployment benefits fraud
The L.A. County District Attorney's office on Wednesday announced charges against over a dozen county employees tied to unemployment fraud.
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Araya Doheny
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Getty Images North America
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Eleven Los Angeles County workers have been charged with felony grand theft for claiming unemployment benefits, despite working full-time during the pandemic, according to L.A. County District Attorney's Office on Friday.
Similar charges were field against 13 other county employees in October.
The D.A.'s office said the 24 individuals allegedly submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims totaling more than $740,000 to the California Employment Development Department between 2020 and 2023 — even though each was working full time and earning at least $3,000 a month.
The D.A.'s office says it'll seek restitution from each person, and that county has reimbursed the state for the stolen money.
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If convicted, 23 of the defendants face a maximum sentence of three years in state prison. One defendant faces a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison for additional charges.
The Auditor-Controller’s Office estimates that the county has lost more than $3.5 million from unemployment insurance fraud during the pandemic — either committed by county employees or by those faking the identities of county employees.
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