Eight people were charged with fraudulently obtaining over $175,000 in public benefits from the Los Angeles Department of Social Services, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
According to a statement from the District Attorney’s Office, those charged include a LA Metro employee and a California Employment Development Department employee. The eight individuals are charged in six distinct felony offenses.
Each defendant is accused of repeatedly lying on their public benefits applications and recertifications in order to receive $177,233.77 in CalWORKS and CalFresh benefits, which are intended to provide low-income families with food, housing, employment, clothing, childcare, medical, and utility assistance.
According to authorities, the monies were fraudulently obtained from DPSS after the eight defendants reportedly disguised tens of thousands of dollars in assets and income, including “a million-dollar rental home, a profitable bakery, and an investment account with a $1 million balance.”
In a statement, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that public benefits are “a lifeline for struggling families, not free cash for fraudsters.”
“While public assistance fraud is a small fraction of the total benefits distributed, even one person who takes advantage of the system is one too many,” he stated.
Thursday’s statement also mentioned numerous additional connected incidents involving identity fraud and EBT skimming, including several convictions and ongoing investigations.
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