SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man who allegedly worked with over 200 co-conspirators to take millions in ill-gotten unemployment benefits intended to assist Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic was charged by San Diego federal prosecutors Thursday.
Constantin Sandu, 33, of Romania, is accused of stealing more than $5.2 million in California Unemployment Insurance benefits with the help of 214 unnamed Romanian co-conspirators in California and Romania.
The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Sandu and others falsified documents and filed fake claims with the state's Economic Development Department between the fall of 2020 and last summer.
U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman alleged Sandu "presided over a vast network of international swindlers to exploit a program meant to help struggling California workers survive the pandemic."
Sandu, who is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was arrested Wednesday by FBI agents at the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station.
