4 arrested in timeshare fraud case in Orange County
Two Long Beach residents—the accused ringleader who founded and operated several Orange County-based companies, Michael McDonagh, along with Ruben Ortiz—were among those arrested.
Two Long Beach residents—the accused ringleader who founded and operated several Orange County-based companies, Michael McDonagh, along with Ruben Ortiz—were among those arrested.
From behind bars, she masterminded a $2 million fraud scheme involving COVID-19 unemployment money, prosecutors allege.
The organization enrolled students in its program even if they had only used drugs or alcohol once, then falsified documents to show they had a “medically diagnosed substance use disorder,” prosecutors said.
“It is despicable that people are taking advantage of communities during a deadly pandemic,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.
Scammers are now impersonating doctors to dupe California officials into giving them disability checks.
Richard Ciampa, 67, pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of health care fraud.
Misi Tagaloa preached compassion for the homeless while he ran for City Council. In private, he was embezzling from a man under his care, prosecutors allege.
A Seal Beach doctor pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal conspiracy charge, admitting he participated in a scheme to submit $8.4 million in phony claims to Medi-Cal.
Drivers would pay hundreds of dollars in cash to receive passing scores on their tests, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges.
The siblings listed homes without owners’ consent and collected money from multiple would-be buyers for each of the not-for-sale homes, prosecutors say.