Overview

• Prosecutors allege the workers claimed they earned under $600 per week while still collecting county paychecks to secure EDD benefits between 2020 and 2023.
• The 13 defendants come from seven agencies, including five from the Department of Children and Family Services and three from Public Social Services, plus staff from the Sheriff’s Department, Health Services, Child Support Services, the Auditor-Controller, and Justice, Care and Opportunity.
• Each defendant faces one felony count of grand theft and a lesser included misdemeanor, with a maximum possible sentence of three years in state prison if convicted.
• The Auditor-Controller estimates more than $3.75 million in county-related pandemic unemployment losses, and investigators say many additional instances fell outside the charging window.
• Complaints were filed Oct. 9–10, arraignments are scheduled through November and into early 2026, and officials say identity theft was ruled out in these charged cases.