Eight Charged in Los Angeles County With Fraudulently Obtaining $177K in CalFresh and CalWORKs Benefits
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in California announced on November 12 that eight people have been charged in six separate felony cases with fraudulently obtaining more than $177,000 in CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) after allegedly concealing assets and income. The defendants include an LA Metro employee and a California Employment Development Department (EDD) employee.
Prosecutors allege the eight obtained a combined $177,233.77. Ogi Buyan of Santa Monica is accused of obtaining $47,059.77 between 2019 and 2023 while holding two investment accounts with combined monthly balances ranging from $60,000 to over $1 million. Rana Soliman of San Dimas is accused of obtaining $23,255 while concealing a home she owned in the Riverside County city of Menifee, valued at about $611,100 and rented out for $3,200 to $3,600 a month.
Glendale spouses Jafar Abdi and Adrineh Abdi are accused of obtaining $29,579; prosecutors say Adrineh Abdi worked full time at a local college and earned more than $165,000 during the period, and that the couple rented out a Glendale house valued at about $979,000 for $4,825 a month. Los Angeles spouses Hasmik Hovhannisyan and Hayk Grigoryan are accused of obtaining $38,630 while concealing more than $115,000 in corporate income from a bakery they owned.
The remaining defendants are Nadya Daniels of Inglewood, accused of obtaining $21,076 while employed by the EDD with gross monthly income of about $4,500 to $5,980, and Nyeisha Nicole Taylor of Los Angeles, accused of obtaining $17,634 after being hired by LA Metro in January 2022 at about $1,850 a month while certifying she was not employed. Each defendant is charged with one felony count of aid by misrepresentation over $950 and multiple counts of perjury by false application for aid.
"Public benefits are a lifeline for struggling families, not free cash for fraudsters," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said, noting his office has filed over 340 cases this year alleging nearly $4.8 million in losses from public assistance fraud and perjury. The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office)
Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：洛杉矶县政府大楼（GSM 固定图库·县包）。 / Photo: Los Angeles County government building (GSM asset library).
