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.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman emphasized the breach of public trust. “When a civil servant steals from the government, that trust is broken,” he said. “Most egregiously, these individuals allegedly claimed to be unemployed during the COVID pandemic when millions of Californians were legitimately in need of unemployment benefits. … If you steal from taxpayers, you will be prosecuted.”
County Auditor-Controller Oscar Valdez called the alleged fraud “particularly egregious,” noting that most county employees serve the public honestly. “For the few who fail to live up to that standard and violate the public trust, we work with our partners — particularly the Los Angeles County District Attorney — to ensure they are held accountable,” he said.
The defendants worked in various roles across the county, including eligibility workers, social workers, administrative managers and security staff. Specific allegations include:
- Alla Agamalian, Administrative Services Manager, Justice, Care and Opportunity Department — $37,800 in alleged unemployment fraud. Arraignment Nov. 13.
- Aurora Lopez Bautista, Eligibility Worker, Department of Public Social Services — $9,349. Arraignment Nov. 20.
- Jessica Antonia Chandler, Children’s Social Worker, Department of Children and Family Services — $48,900. Arraignment Nov. 14.
- Chandra Kameko Tisdale, Children’s Social Worker — $57,900. Case filed for warrant.
- Kelley Collins, Eligibility Supervisor, Department of Public Social Services — $56,400. Case filed for warrant.
Other employees named include Derrick Anthony Callella, Donisha Nicole Brumfield, Ivan Jacob Mariscal, Mary Theresa Thomas, Raquel Martinez-Alvarez, Shalita Viola Hammell, Toni Chereece Pittmon and Ynna Aghabegian. Arraignments for these cases are scheduled throughout November, with one defendant already pleading not guilty in September.
The county said public and private employers in Los Angeles lost an estimated $10 billion to pandemic-era Employment Development Department fraud. Officials encouraged residents to report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse to the County Fraud Hotline online or by calling (800) 544-6861.
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