The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged two police officers with insurance fraud after they allegedly took unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Police Officer III Peter Mastrocinque and Police Officer II Nicole Grant were arrested on Friday after prosecutors filed the charges. LAPD said the officers surrendered themselves. They were booked, released and placed on administrative leave.
Investigators said the pair submitted allegedly fraudulent unemployment insurance applications in 2020 and 2021. LAPD said their applications were flagged following the DA’s review of potentially fraudulent unemployment benefits claims.
The DA’s Office worked with the LAPD’s Special Operations Division and determined that there was probable cause to believe that Mastrocinque and Grant submitted fraudulent applications and received…
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.