13 Los Angeles County employees charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing unemployment benefits

Over a dozen Los Angeles County employees face felony grand theft charges for allegedly stealing funds intended for COVID relief, while at the same time collecting their county paychecks.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman identified 13 county employees from different county agencies who received over $430,000 between 2020 and 2023.

During a Wednesday news conference, Hochman said, "We will not tolerate this type of illegal conduct by anyone, but especially by county employees who are given that additional trust."

Starting in 2020, the federal government and the state of California offered unemployment insurance for COVID relief. The Auditor-Controller's Office estimates that the county lost over $3.75 million due to pandemic unemployment insurance fraud.

Overall, Los Angeles County public and private employers lost an estimated $10 billion to pandemic-era Employment Development Department fraud.

The Auditor-Controller's office looked closely at county employees, and it was discovered that the identified 13 county employees were employed full-time, yet applied to the COVID-19 relief, EDD fund. Hochman noted they were "saying, in essence, that they were unemployed." In fact, they signed the application under penalty of perjury.

A handful of the charged employees worked at the Department of Children and Family Services, while others worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Department of Public Social Services, and others.

The accused range in ages from 42 to 58 years old, with the largest amount, $57,900, allegedly stolen by a 49-year-old woman who was a social worker for the Department of Children and Family Services.

Hochman noted that identity theft was taken into consideration during the investigation, and in these cases, it was ruled out.

"These county employees, who were receiving their county check every single two weeks, are also telling EDD at the same time that they are unemployed," Hochman said.

If convicted as charged, each employee faces three years in state prison.