LOS ANGELES COUNTY — Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich on Tuesday directed the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office and the Department of Public Social Services to report on strategies being implemented to address ongoing fraudulent and improper use of county social welfare dollars.
The county continues to learn of millions of dollars in public welfare dollars being spent in places outside Los Angeles County — such as Las Vegas, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and New York City — on questionable expenses including casinos, clubs and tattoo parlors, according to statement by Antonovich’s office.
“It is vital that public tax dollars for welfare programs are used for their intended purpose,” Antonovich said in the statement.
The Chief Executive Office and Department of Public Social Services will report back to the Board in 30 days.
Nancy P says
Any news on this yet? I am curious to see what comes out of this and if there is an explanation why very few arrests are being made for all the fraud here in the AV.
Doesn’t welfare ask who a baby daddy is and go after that man for child support?
Nancy P says
As people come over the mills into the AV, we should have a sign posted with exerts from the Emma Lazarus poem. To welcome all those who come to take advantage of the bounty and beauty that many of the comments reflect:
…. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Nancy P says
**hills, not mills
chuck says
After reading what’s going on I believe they saved Palmdale and Lancaster from rental property and business failures. It could have a been devastating for them. Foreclosures and bankruptcies would have resulted. The two cities are growing thanks to the 8 program. Mayors should be grateful to the county.
Quigley says
Really Chuck?? Can’t take your bait…AVTimes will censor me and then you won’t understand what I’m saying!
bigbear says
I used to work as a checker at a local grocery store back when they had the food stamps and the first of every month you would see the same ones coming in buying streak, crab, and legs etc while I work to buy chicken or hamburger.they would have their nails done, gold necklaces and nice clothes on, but day I had a lady and young child come through my line having food stamps but she also had manufacture coupons for things she was buying and not the good meat or top of the line products but the sell items. my eyes began to water up , here was someone who needed the help and was doing all she could to make her stamps go as far as possible. so yes there are people who need it but most I believe abuse it
Nancy P says
That’s the way it’s supposed to work. Thanks for the share.
Jay says
Im on food stamps and I have no clue where these stories of name brand clothes or Cadillacs come from. Pretty sure 95% of them are made up.
anotherdummy says
I worked in EMS for a little over a decade. While I have seen plenty of patients who were on government assistance with obvious need, there were also a large amount who were on Medi-Cal or County medical benefits (intended for underprivilaged) who had nice cars with aftermarket rims, big nice houses full of big nice things. From what I have been told when I asked how they can afford all of that but still qualify for assistance, they scheme the system by using the credit of one of their family members, take out all kinds of debt, and wreck their credit to accumulate things that they cannot ever possibly pay for. Many of these abusers of the system might have nice things, but they do not have assets. They have debt. Lots and lots of debt.
Beervana says
Lots and Lots of debt that they will NEVER pay.
Extended families all use 1 address even tough they live elsewhere and pick their mail up from the resident. They all have cars registered to “the address” and none of the people live there. Sometimes the “homeowner” doesn’t even live there but they still have their mailbox key.
Tow trucks come by the house all the time in an attempt to repo cars for none payment. I’ve asked a tow truck driver, what kind of car he’s looking for and it’s some relative, or the homeowner’s car that was towed away by friends a long time ago. Disappeared……hmmm.
The finance companies do reverse phone number look up and start calling the neighbors thinking that will embarrass them into making their payments. NO, it doesn’t.
Yes, they wear name brand clothes, mostly bought at DD’s (or other discount stores), matching boots and purses. They probably spend more money on their (disposable) clothes in a month, than I spend in a year. Rarely do you see them in the same outfit more than once or twice. Perfect manicures and hair. The kids all dressed in name brands from head to toe, carrying I phones.
These people do not work…they say they are self employed, and they get paid by various social service agencies. :) However, when they apply for scholarships for their kids at private school or need their utility bills paid, Christmas present handouts, back to school supply handouts, free dental programs, they claim poverty.
Some people know every angle, every in and out of all the programs and they teach their kids and their friends. Teach or share information. They go on extravagant vacations, sometimes taking extended family and buy all new clothes and luggage, for the trip.
Huge birthday parties and baby showers at parks and pizza parlors for infants and small children. It’s crazy how the same people raping the State of California and other federal programs get away with this scam. UNCHECKED!
Jay says
Yeah that is what I suspected. None of those big things were bought with government money, well a majority of it. They just put it on credit. They probably purchase all those things afterward because my first attempt at getting benefits was denied because I had 800 dollars in the stock market.
Jason Zink says
Mike is Wrong Sorry to tell U!
The truth of the matter is there is so much waste in administrating the program by the county that would be the first place they should start.
It was stated that in the news that Less than 2 percent of reciepts used their card out of state and it was found that they were visting family and looking for jobs out of state because there are no jobs in AV.
That vast majority of recipients are children, veterans, seniors, and the disabled/mental ill.
And LA County has done very little in job creation and training programs of you heard of any?.
These small grants to people help our economy here locally which helps us who have jobs keep our jobs and crime off our streets or we can pay 5 times that in jails, foster care, hospital stays. Its really a bargin in the big picture.
The State of California farmers supplies the most food of all the states in the USA so California benefits the most from this program and creates jobs to feed our nation.
So the next time u here someone bitch about food stamp program tell them “shut up Stupid I don’t want to lose my job ~go eat”!
Jay says
NOOOOO! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!! ITS THESE LEECHES THAT ARE RUINING THE ECONOMY NOT OUT LACKLUSTER CONGRESSMAN THAT VOTED FOR THE SEQUESTERS!!! WHO CARES IF 90% OF THEM ACTUALLY PLAY BY THE SYSTEMS RULES(sarcasm)
Beervana says
There are so many welfare/social services programs and NONE of them share information.
I have reported 3 or 4 different types of fraud to 1 group of FRAUD INVESTIGATORS and they never passed any of the information on, even to other people within their own organization.
Senior care people cannot share their info with daycare investigators or section 8 or food stamp people and SSI, let alone Sect 8.
I don’t know if the “senior investigator” just didn’t give a $hit or what the excuse was. It has been 4 yrs since I started reporting blatant fraud activities that have netted thousands of dollars including, earned income tax return money, fake business to write kick back checks as payroll. Setting up bank accounts to receive electronic filing of false tax returns in names of other people.
Originally, I called Antonovich’s office and asked who to report the crime to and was given a disconnected phone number. I called back to confirm the number and the male assistant at Antonovich’s office said that was the only number he had.
Reporting to one of the agencies resulted in a person from that agency going to the people’s house and telling them someone was reporting them. She would sit in the middle of the filthy house, holding someone’s baby. When she should have been writing them up for the conditions, or for all the people living in the house…or for the backyard of broken toys and trash…or the rats crawling around on the house. She never seemed to notice that the only way she could EVER get in was by making an appointment.
The crook always called the shots.
As says
I disagree with people that are taking advantage of the system and find ways of getting through loop holes or certain requirements and unfortunately I’m sure they exist. I have seen people that drive nice cars and wear decent clothes, who knows if it’s swap meet or name brand there’s knockoff everything nowadays, but I’ve never gone up and asked hey do you get welfare? So assuming is pretty judgmental. People are so quick to judge when they see non-whites with nice cars and don’t look super classy that they are abusing the system. I believe if people are abusing the system they need to be held accountable because it’s basically theft. But if you’ve been reporting for four years I think you need a different hobby.
Beervana says
Hey As, it’s not a hobby. I feel it’s a responsibility to report fraud.
The point I was making about how long I personally have reported this, was to point out that no one really wants to know. They just say they do so it looks like they are concerned.
Why are you playing the “race card”. I never mentioned anything about any ethnicity? This has nothing to do with race. It has to do with fraud, and blatant fraud at that. I don’t judge anyone, I only judge the actions I see them make. It’s sort of like freedom of speech….all open for interpretation.
[removed] says
Thank You!
Lets eliminate this fraud, these people need to be held accountable! Can we take it a step further and require drug test for any recipient? Then we can move to Sec-8 fraud, I recently rented a home and 95% of applicants were under this program. The odd thing is they all wore name brand clothes and drove nicer cars than most on the block who are hard working people making a normal mortgage payments! Seems a little unfair! ABSOLUTELY!
chuck says
Unfair. Right you are, big 5 bedroom houses, no property taxes to pay. Big shiny cars etc., they know how to work the system. Food stamps for extra money when sold, foundations to pay utility bills. Men do not want to work because they found a fool to take care of them plus all the extra perks they get.. The list goes on.
Deerone says
Part of the problem with ”abuse” is the fact that the County seems to be so ”backlogged”, it takes the Fraud Division so long to investigate Welfare fraud.. I reported a person to Welfare, and it took over 2 years before the Investigators even got to it… That needs to change or there will be many more ”cases” that will cost taxpayers even more money!
Quigley says
Thank you Michael D. Antonovich. It’s about damn time something is done about the abuse of the welfare program, especially in the Antelope Valley. Those who abused the funds should be held accountable!
lvelaresidents says
I support Antonovich on this and wish he can also look into Sec 8 fraud.