Stopping the Massive Fraud

HedonistForever's Avatar
No, not voter fraud, Covid relief fraud.

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...th-row-inmates

Scams led California to send COVID jobless benefits to Scott Peterson, death row inmates

San Quentin inmate Scott Peterson, convicted of killing his wife and unborn son, was sent California unemployment benefits in recent months, according to a group of state and federal prosecutors who have been investigating fraud in the pandemic relief system administered by the state Employment Development Department.


So was convicted serial killer Cary Stayner, who in 1999 murdered two women and two girls near Yosemite and now is jailed, near Peterson, on death row.


Also allegedly approved for an unemployment debit card: Isauro Aguirre, sentenced to death in 2018 for the torture and death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.
Nine district attorneys across California and a federal prosecutor on Tuesday made these allegations and called for Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene to stop such unemployment swindling in California jails and prisons — which may involve tens of thousands of questionable claims totaling hundreds of millions of dollars — though they said they were uncertain if the high-profile claimants were victims of a scam or participants.


The district attorneys called the situation “the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history,” according to a letter obtained by The Times, describing crimes that involve identity theft of prisoners as well as alleged conspiracies by individual inmates and organized gangs to game the state system.


“It is a manifest problem that cannot be ignored, and the governor needs to take steps to address it,” said McGregor Scott, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California.


The prosecutors contend that the fraud is preventable with systems such as those used by other states that check inmate data against unemployment claims.

Wow! They have that, systems that can check on things like who should still be on a states voter rolls? Just one more example of why my radar turns on when we are talking about massive fraud in government agencies be they state or federal. Anybody that assumes that massive fraud at the state and federal level, "can't happen" is naive at best and a fool at worst.

They asked Newsom to step in to “turn off the spigot” of payments to incarcerated people, contending that EDD’s response to their investigations has been “slow to nonexistent,” according to Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, who helped form and lead a task force on the issue.
“EDD, it’s just a dysfunctional mess,” said El Dorado County Dist. Atty. Vern Pierson, a member of the task force and president of the California District Attorneys Assn.


Newsom on Tuesday said the fraud was “absolutely unacceptable” and announced his own task force to aid district attorneys and coordinate California’s anti-fraud efforts, adding that the state has already started comparing inmate rolls to pandemic benefit claims.


“Earlier this year, I launched a strike team to expedite unemployment payments and to minimize abuse of the system,” Newsom said in a statement. “While we have made improvements, we need to do more.”


EDD is attempting to weed out claims from incarcerated people who are ineligible and is “pursuing how to integrate such cross-matches moving forward,” said Loree Levy, a spokeswoman for the agency.


Though few dispute the need for unemployment aid during an unprecedented economic downturn — and the potential need for further stimulus money — the latest allegations highlight ongoing problems with EDD that have left many questioning the agency’s ability to administer the massive number of new claims.


Just imagine the massive amount of dollars wasted just because bureaucrats have no interest in doing their jobs efficiently and effectively. Who cares, it isn't there money seems to be the ruling philosophy in government agencies.


So far, investigations have uncovered more than $400,000 in state benefits paid to death row inmates and more than $140 million to other incarcerated people in California’s 35 prisons, according to Schubert.


“The murderers and rapists and human traffickers should not be getting this money,” said Schubert. “It needs to stop.”


Oh! I guess we don't have to imagine and this is in one state with all 50 states being part of the Covid relief plan.
Tell me again how we shouldn't expect massive fraud in any operation conducted by state and federal government.


Yssup Rider's Avatar
When a is said and done, we’ll find a lot of fraud as it pertains to federal funds.

And campaign funds, btw.

We may even discover Mexico paying for it.
HedonistForever's Avatar
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Ripmany's Avatar
Honestly know care who president as long as my last part of second amendment rights not being stamp on and sadly there are.
Lucas McCain's Avatar
I didn't even know Scott Peterson was still alive. They should have put that rabid double murdering dog down years ago. He doesn't deserve another breath, just like he took it away from his wife and unborn child.

You never heard of a fucking divorce? You don't kill your wife and child you piece of shit. Why is that guy even still breathing?
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
did california eliminate the death penalty?
Lucas McCain's Avatar
For now, but that motherfucker should have been taken care of a long time ago.
HedonistForever's Avatar
I didn't even know Scott Peterson was still alive. They should have put that rabid double murdering dog down years ago. He doesn't deserve another breath, just like he took it away from his wife and unborn child.

You never heard of a fucking divorce? You don't kill your wife and child you piece of shit. Why is that guy even still breathing? Originally Posted by Lucas McCain

Much less being paid to be alive. A double slap in the face to all Americans and a complete failure of government to allow this level of fraud.
Lucas McCain's Avatar
Prisons are crooked like many government funded agencies. They will just milk the fuck out of the system for funding. That's just how it works. I understand the guards, the food and a room; but how the fuck does it cost so much per prisoner?

You mean to tell me I get 3 hots and a cot for free, but costs you about $40K per year? Why the fuck did I even go to college? In undergrad, I was living off of $700 a month. I should have made sure I was caught robbing a bank and just lived the good prison rapey life.
HedonistForever's Avatar
Prisons are crooked like many government funded agencies. They will just milk the fuck out of the system for funding. That's just how it works. Originally Posted by Lucas McCain

And we should just accept it? That may be how the prison system works but it sure as hell shouldn't be how the state and federal government works. No scrutiny what so ever was applied to doling out billions of dollars.
Lucas McCain's Avatar
HF, it is what it is. Sometimes you just have no choice to accept it no matter how unacceptable you think it is. It is what it is and it will not change.

I say worry about what can be changed. Many things are impossible to change in this society. That's my point.
Yssup Rider's Avatar
I think we have seen what happens when you put a Fox in charge of the henhouse.
Munchmasterman's Avatar
Side note.
In the movie "Demolition Man", Scott Peterson is listed as a prisoner who was thawed out for a parole hearing just prior to Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) being thawed out for his parole hearing.
The year was 2032. Peterson was not paroled.
Sylvester Stallone was thawed out, saved the day, and went on to make "Rocky 8,9, and 10.

HF, it is what it is. Sometimes you just have no choice to accept it no matter how unacceptable you think it is. It is what it is and it will not change.

I say worry about what can be changed. Many things are impossible to change in this society. That's my point. Originally Posted by Lucas McCain
winn dixie's Avatar
Side note.
In the movie "Demolition Man", Scott Peterson is listed as a prisoner who was thawed out for a parole hearing just prior to Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) being thawed out for his parole hearing.
The year was 2032. Peterson was not paroled.
Sylvester Stallone was thawed out, saved the day, and went on to make "Rocky 8,9, and 10.

Originally Posted by Munchmasterman
Using a fake movie for an example? This proves your not in reality!
HedonistForever's Avatar
HF, it is what it is. Sometimes you just have no choice to accept it no matter how unacceptable you think it is. It is what it is and it will not change.

I say worry about what can be changed. Many things are impossible to change in this society. That's my point. Originally Posted by Lucas McCain

If that were true, we wouldn't have 27 amendments to the Constitution. Anything Congress does or doesn't do can be changed. It is "defeatism" to think other wise. I'm not a defeatist.


Definition of defeatism
: an attitude of accepting, expecting, or being resigned to defeat