Three people plead guilty in unemployment fraud in Santa Barbara County
January 25, 2021
By JOSH FRIEDMAN
A man and woman from San Diego stole customers’ identities from businesses across the United States, including a Santa Barbara property management firm, and used them to file fraudulent unemployment claims, which cost California taxpayers more than $2 million.
Gordon Alan Welterlen, 37, and Nicole Michelle Milan, 31, along with Rosa Maria Bradley, 40, of Santa Barbara pleaded guilty on Friday to felony charges related to the fraud, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office announced. Another three alleged co-conspirators are also facing charges in the Santa Barbara County court case.
Fraud linked to California’s Unemployment Department may hit eight billion dollars and expands to other states
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Our series of Tipline reports about fraud in California’s unemployment system indicates the loss to taxpayers could hit a staggering eight billion dollars.
Some law enforcement officials have already confirmed the fraud has been linked to prisoners at every jail and prison in California. That massive and complex investigation is underway right now and it s expanding to other states.
Authorities are investigating inmates at prisons across the U.S. who ve allegedly been scamming the system and getting money from California s Employment Development Department, the EDD, which oversees the state s unemployment benefit system.
COVID-19 Dominates Noozhawk’s Top Stories of 2020
Other most-read stories include fatal vehicle crashes, the arrival of British royalty, a spectacular meteor shower and a persistent mountain lion
Sansum Clinic medical assistant Leti Gutierrez administers novel coronavirus tests to patients with drive-through appointments in Santa Barbara on Aug. 4. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk file photo) By Brooke Holland, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @BT Holland
December 30, 2020
| 10:13 p.m.
The dynamic novel coronavirus took center stage this year, and Noozhawk coverage of the pandemic captured readers’ attention.
The list of most-read stories of the year was dominated by stories on the pandemic, public health response, and widespread business and school closures in Santa Barbara County.
Housing and Development Newsletter
The 26 on-duty and off-duty volunteer shopping buddies were made up of sheriff’s deputies, custody deputies, district attorney investigators, and an emergency communications call-taker.
A young girl was upset because the price of a laptop computer was over her budget, but an additional donor helped to cover the cost. In the photo is Sheriff’s Deputy Johnson, left. (Courtesy photo)
“The SBCDSA feels very honored that Walmart management reached out to us, said Jazzmine DeForest, SBCDSA vice president. We couldn’t be more thrilled to help coordinate an event that brightens the lives of children who have been through some tough times in their young lives and this year especially.