2 LAPD officers charged with COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged two police officers with insurance fraud after they allegedly took unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Los Angeles Police Department said Police Officer III Peter Mastrocinque and Police Officer II Nicole Grant were arrested on Friday after prosecutors filed the charges. LAPD said the officers surrendered themselves. They were booked, released and placed on administrative leave.

"We hold our law enforcement officers to a higher degree of trust because they are sworn to serve and protect us," LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. Collecting unemployment while working full time is selfish, greedy and most of all, unlawful, and this kind of conduct will be fully prosecuted."  

Investigators said the pair submitted allegedly fraudulent unemployment insurance applications in 2020 and 2021. LAPD said their applications were flagged following the DA's review of potentially fraudulent unemployment benefits claims. 

The DA's Office worked with the LAPD's Special Operations Division and determined that there was probable cause to believe that Mastrocinque and Grant submitted fraudulent applications and received unemployment payments. 

The LAPD's Special Operations Division Major Complaint Unit focuses on workers' compensation fraud, abuse of benefits, and other allegations of criminal misconduct involving Department personnel.

"The Unit is committed to aggressively investigating fraud and benefits abuse to ensure accountability, safeguard public resources, and uphold the integrity of the Department," LAPD wrote in a statement. 

Two weeks ago, LA County prosecutors charged another officer with workers' compensation fraud after he allegedly went skydiving while on disability.