Overview

• District Attorney Nathan Hochman alleges the group obtained $437,383 in state unemployment benefits between 2020 and 2023 while employed.
• Each defendant faces one felony count of grand theft and a related misdemeanor offense, with a maximum sentence of three years if convicted.
• The accused worked across seven county agencies, including five from Children and Family Services, three from Public Social Services, and one each from Health Services, Child Support Services, the Auditor-Controller, Justice, Care and Opportunity, and a non-sworn Sheriff’s Department employee.
• Individual payouts ranged from roughly $9,000 to more than $50,000, based on claims asserting earnings under $600 per week.
• The Auditor-Controller estimates pandemic-era unemployment fraud tied to county employees or their identities exceeded $3.75 million, with hearings for some defendants set from November into early next year.