List of Romanians charged with stealing public-assistance benefits from California residents continues to grow

Court documents estimate more than $181 million in public benefits have been stolen from the accounts of California residents over the last few years

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At least one more Romanian was charged so far this month in San Diego with stealing benefits from low-income California residents, continuing a trend that dates back at least a couple years.

Might be more, but I used up my free $30 on PACER this quarter, so more comprehensive updates will have to wait until the next time I can get to the courthouse in person.

This latest charge also follows an announcement last month by Tara K. McGrath, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, about six Romanians and an Italian who were charged with stealing benefits from low-income families.

The complaints in all the cases say that the California Department of Social Services has reported more than $181 million in stolen benefits from CalWORKS, a state program that distributes assistance to low-income households that have at least one child, from June 2022 to February 2024 — mostly through unauthorized ATM withdrawals.