A Southern California-based nonprofit CEO pleaded guilty Monday to fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, using stolen identities to steal nearly $1.5 million, officials say.
According to the Department of Justice, Reginald Foster Jr., 38, of Westchester, Los Angeles, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud and one count of unauthorized use of access devices.
The indictment alleges Foster took advantage of the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, part of the CARES Act passed in 2020 to help people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between June and October of 2020, the DOJ says Foster conspired with others to file fraudulent unemployment claims using the personal information of individuals who did not authorize the applications.
In total, Foster and his co-conspirators allegedly submitted 118 fraudulent applications to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), using stolen identities to ensure the approval of the claims.