Chicana "Action Center" executives charged in $8.5-million fraud case

Leftists used $35,000 in taxpayer funds to charter a yacht in Seattle.

It Beats Working For a Living

• If a Democrat lacks job skills for real world jobs they can always be hired to run phony committees or "charities" that claim to help the poor and homeless.
• So many millions of tax dollars just rolling around.  So few eyes watching how the money is spent.

(Los Angeles Times)  -  For decades, the Chicana Service Action Center received millions of dollars in taxpayer money to help some of the county's most disadvantaged residents: the homeless, the unemployed, victims of domestic violence, foster youth looking for work.

The nonprofit organization also played a pivotal role in launching the political career of former County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who described herself as one of the group's earliest supporters. In the last few years, its influence had gone far beyond its Eastside origins, extending its reach from downtown to the eastern edge of the San Gabriel Valley.

Now, prosecutors have charged three of the group's executives with embezzlement and conspiracy, accusing them of participating in a "billing scam" that defrauded the county of more than $8.5 million, according to the district attorney's office.

Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey's office alleges that Sophia Esparza, the Chicana center's chief executive officer, used public funds to pay for expensive cars, homes, meals and even a political campaign fundraiser. Roughly $1.8 million went toward Esparza's "lavish" lifestyle, prosecutors say, including season tickets to the Dodgers and Clippers and rent on a home in affluent San Marino.

The district attorney's complaint says Esparza improperly used $35,000 in taxpayer funds to charter a yacht in Seattle; $81,873 to purchase a 2010 Jaguar in Pasadena; and $145,653 to cover five years' of rent at the Visconti, an apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles. None of those purchases were authorized by the group's board of directors, the complaint states.

Prosecutors also allege the three defendants created "fraudulent records and/or client files" to support the monthly invoices that were sent to the county's Department of Public Social Services.

The nonprofit received more than $16 million in county funds between 2007 and 2014, operating job training, domestic violence counseling and other programs in locations such as Pomona, San Gabriel and East L.A., according to county officials.

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Sucking on the Government Teat
Why work for a living if your insider friends can get you a job spending other people's money.