Group Of Seven Face First Day In Court
Seven people accused of perpetrating a fraud scheme that drained hundreds of thousands of dollars from a state-run childcare program are slated to be arraigned today.
Stephanie Luna Vega, 38, of Riverside, her mother, 61-year-old Sylvia Avila, Vega’s father, Albert Lobato Luna, 60, his wife, Camilla Wright Luna, 61, and Vega’s sister-in-law, Toni Catherine Luna, 40, of Riverside were named last month in a multi-count criminal complaint.
Also charged are 31-year-old Brenda Acosta of Lake Elsinore and 37-year- old Esmeralda Garcia Martinez of Riverside.
Albert Luna is being held in lieu of $315,000 bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. The other defendants are free on bond.
The alleged mastermind of the eight-year scheme, uncovered in 2009, was Vega. According to prosecutors, while she and Martinez were employed at the Riverside County Office of Education, they allegedly conspired to falsify records and create fictitious children to obtain money from the CalWorks child care program.
At least $528,000 was misappropriated, with a large amount of the taxpayer funds being diverted to the other defendants, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Vega is charged with a dozen felonies, including grand theft, misappropriation of funds and embezzlement.
Her codefendants face similar charges, as well as perjury, conspiracy and filing false documents.
According to District Attorney Rod Pacheco, Vega and Martinez allegedly used their positions to set up phantom childcare providers and nonexistent children in need of CalWorks’ benefits.
In some cases, Vega’s family members were designated as providers and receiving checks for nothing more than having their names on documents filed with the county, according to Pacheco.
Under the CalWorks program, which is supported through state and federal funds and administered by individual counties, welfare recipients can receive subsidized daycare for their children — the idea being that while the children are supervised, mom or dad can attend school or look for work.
According to Pacheco, the money goes directly to providers. But with the state allocating a limited number of funds each year to the program, not everyone who applies for publicly funded childcare services is granted access, he said.
Because of the defendants’ actions, there was less money available for families who genuinely qualified to receive childcare assistance, cheating them out of the opportunity, Pacheco said, noting that the system has inherent exposure to fraud.
The defendants’ alleged scheme was brought to authorities’ attention after Vega’s ex-husband discovered cash and documents while rummaging through a closet at the couple’s former home last year, according to prosecutors.
If convicted, the defendants face prison terms ranging from six to 14 years.
