LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Two Los Angeles Police Department officers suspected of committing unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic were arrested Friday.
Officers Peter Mastrocinque and Nicole Grant were arrested by personnel from the department’s Special Operations Division’s Major Complaint Unit, which is responsible for investigating criminal misconduct by department employees, police said.
Both officers surrendered, were booked and later released, police said.
The Major Complaint Unit’s investigation followed a 2023 review by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office of suspected unemployment insurance fraud involving applications submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic, police said.
Mastrocinque and Grant sought unemployment insurance benefits in 2020 and 2021, police said.
The two officers have both been charged by the district attorney’s office with insurance…
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.