Thirteen Los Angeles County employees were charged with theft for allegedly filing bogus unemployment claims, bilking the state out of more than $430,000 combined, the District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

According to prosecutors, each of the defendants was charged with a felony count of grand theft, and a lesser-included misdemeanor offense. The defendants allegedly filed unemployment claims while working for the county between 2020 and 2023, purporting to have earned less than $600 per week during each two-week claim period, even though they all earned more than that amount.

“As government employees, we have an obligation to uphold the public’s trust,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. “When a civil servant steals from the government, that trust is bro

See Full Page