The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged 13 county employees from seven different departments with felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a total of $437,383 in state unemployment benefits between 2020 and 2023.
Each of the employees faces a maximum of three years in state prison if convicted, officials said. The defendants were charged with one felony count of grand theft and one lesser included misdemeanor offense.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the employees submitted fraudulent claims to the California Employment Development Department while continuing to collect their county salaries. The claims allegedly included false statements under penalty of perjury that they earned less than $600 per week, when in fact they were paid more and were therefore ineligible for unemployment benefits…