8 LOCAL WELFARE RECIPIENTS ARRESTED; SUSPECTS ACCUSED OF FRAUD, LAVISH LIFESTYLES.Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer In a crackdown crack·down n. An act or example of forceful regulation, repression, or restraint: a crackdown on crime. Noun 1. on major welfare fraud, district attorney's investigators on Friday arrested a Glendale couple and six others accused of financing lavish lifestyles by illegally obtaining welfare payments. Investigators fanned out to homes in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Glendale and Pasadena to make arrests in the five unrelated fraud cases involving people who they said owned bakeries, apartment complexes, luxury cars, boats and even a $6,500 Rolex watch. Prosecutors say the crackdown is the first in an ongoing investigation into a sophisticated form of welfare fraud. And for the first time, the District Attorney's Office will use a 1997 law to freeze some of the defendants' assets to help cover court-ordered fines and restitution In the context of Criminal Law, state programs under which an offender is required, as a condition of his or her sentence, to repay money or donate services to the victim or society; with respect to maritime law, the restoration of articles lost by jettison, done when the if they are convicted, said prosecutor prosecutor Government attorney who presents the state's case against the defendant in a criminal prosecution. In some countries (France, Japan), public prosecution is carried out by a single office. In the U.S., states and counties have their own prosecutors. Stephen L. Cooley, who heads the Welfare Fraud Division. Bail ranges from $60,000 to $130,000 for the eight people, jailed with arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted expected for Monday. A ninth suspect is being sought. Investigators said they were tipped off to the cases of suspected fraud by police, neighbors and public officials who had been notified by constituents that the defendants were on welfare and living luxuriously. ``We evaluated and selected the most promising of the leads and focused on the major fraud cases, . . . anything over $50,000,'' said Cooley. ``We have a number of other active investigations . . . and we hope to continue this process with our limited resources.'' Cooley said the defendants were able to collect welfare undetected by handling all transactions, such as car purchases, in cash without leaving a paper trail. He said some suspects also placed assets in others' names to avoid being disqualified dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. from welfare. ``They were somewhat sophisticated and at least consistent in lying to welfare authorities any time inquiries were made about their assets, and they always got away with it until now,'' said Cooley. ``It's over.'' Of those arrested, Ovanes Danelian, 48, and his 46-year-old wife, Narenze, of Glendale, are accused of taking the most in welfare funds - $130,945, authorities said. The Danelians, who have at least two children, were charged with one count of welfare fraud and seven counts of perjury perjury (pûr`jərē), in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. . The two are accused of collecting welfare cash, food stamps food stamp n. A stamp or coupon, issued by the government to persons with low incomes, that can be redeemed for food at stores. Noun 1. and Medi-Cal from 1989 until this April. The others accused include: Ella Rekechenetskiy, 35, and her husband, Anatoliy, 42, of Los Angeles, charged with two counts of welfare fraud and eight counts of perjury for alleged crimes involving more than $100,000. Sammie David Miller David Miller could refer to any of the following:
Goar Chivtchyan, 37, and her husband, Hakop Bebekian, 39, are charged with one count of welfare fraud involving more than $50,000, one count of conspiracy and seven counts of perjury. Christina Maria Williams, 23, of Carson, charged with one count of welfare fraud involving more than $50,000 and 10 counts of perjury. |
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