Santa Ana man sentenced for $1.2M COVID-19 fraud
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently applying for more than $1.2 million in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance…
Anaheim tax preparer sentenced for a COVID-19 scam involving prisoners
Sandra Pineda, 37, an Anaheim tax preparer, was sentenced on Friday to six years in prison for a COVID- 19 pandemic unemployment insurance scam that involved four state prisoners. Pineda…
An O.C. woman was sentenced for embezzling $3M from two Anaheim companies
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County woman who embezzled more than $3 million from two companies while she worked as their financial controller, cheated on her taxes, and fraudulently…
Connected ex O.C. Democrat official pleads guilty to attempted wire fraud
Melahat Rafiei, 45, a former very powerful Democratic Party official in both Orange County and Sacramento, pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of attempting to defraud one of her political…
Scammers are posing as Westminster police officers to rip off residents
The Westminster Police Department has received information that scammers identifying themselves as Westminster Police officers are calling, messaging, and emailing victims that they have an arrest warrant or citation that…
Investigators seek additional victims of alleged fraud by former O.C. insurance agent
ORANGE, Calif. — Formerly licensed insurance agent Gregory Magedman, 77, of Fullerton, appeared in court today on one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement after he allegedly secured insurance for…
Former SAPD police officer has to pay $95K restitution after a fraud conviction
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A 39-year old Santa Ana police officer convicted of committing workers’ compensation insurance fraud for continuing to accept his full pay without working even though he…
Irvine man heads to prison after he spent $5M in COVID-19 funds on sport cars
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $5 million in COVID-relief loans for his sham businesses, then used…
Learn how to avoid identify theft in Orange County
(Santa Ana, Calif.) Orange County Chairman Donald P. Wagner and Treasurer Shari Freidenrich are kicking off Identity Theft Awareness Week by urging Orange County residents to take steps to safeguard…
Santa Ana man indicted for $1.25M COVID-19 fraud
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury today returned an eight-count indictment charging an Orange County man with defrauding California’s unemployment insurance program…
Four suspects were arrested in Tustin while trying to cash a fraudulent check
Tustin police officers were called to a local bank after employees noted an attempted fraudulent check transaction. A total of four subjects were arrested and booked at Orange County Jail…
Former Tustin insurance agent arrested after alleged $100K investment scam
ORANGE, Calif. -- Gautam Arora, 38, of Tustin, was arrested today on 11 felony counts of securities violations and money laundering after a California Department of Insurance investigation found he…
O.C. pharmacist convicted of defrauding the U.S. Military’s health care plan out of $11M
A licensed Orange County pharmacist has been found guilty by a jury of nearly two dozen federal criminal charges for her role in a health care fraud scheme in which…
O.C. workers’ comp attorney heading to prison for insurance fraud scheme and must pay $700K
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A workers’ compensation applicant attorney was sentenced today to four years in state prison and ordered to pay over $700,000 in restitution to seventeen different insurance…
Irvine romance scammer pleads guilty to defrauding nearly 20 victims
An Orange County man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for defrauding 19 victims – some of whom he developed romantic relationships with – and then laundering the proceeds…