Child abuse as a crime carries serious consequences, and it also serious affects the children involved. The State of California created child welfare programs to try and deal with both the crime and the consequences to the children involved. A recent bunch of arrests have netted people accused of defrauding child welfare services of a great deal of money. Six people suspected of allegedly defrauding child care welfare programs of more than $1 million were arrested Friday.
A total of nine defendants, including a county employee of the agency that administers welfare programs, are charged in three separate cases, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Beatrice Harvey, 28, was arrested Nov. 26 at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services office in Lancaster, where she works, officials said.
She has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed on $181,000 bail.
Harvey allegedly applied for and received more than $136,000 in aid between Nov. 30, 2001, and June 30, 2006. She allegedly failed to report that she was married and that her husband was fully employed by the county Department of Children and Family Services, the District Attorney's Office reported.
Harvey is due at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse next Monday. She is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require her to stand trial on one felony count of grand theft of personal property and five felony counts of perjury by declaration.
Those arrested Friday by investigators from the District Attorney's Office were:
- Erica Manesha Dunn, 27, of North Hills;
- Tammi Howard, 41, of Los Angeles;
- Sannice Lavette Arthur, 41, of Los Angeles;
- Cedric Dale, 41, and Darlene Jenkins, 46, who were arrested near Fort Worth, Texas.
- Greta Marie Brown, 36, who was arrested in Long Beach.
Dale is charged with orchestrating the theft of more than $340,000 of child care funds with Jenkins and Brown. The three allegedly worked with defendants connected with Harvey, according to the District Attorney's Office.
