A man who allegedly orchestrated a scheme that prosecutors say took almost $5.2 million in unearned California unemployment benefits has been extradited from Romania to San Diego.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday that David Constantin, 28, is among 14 people indicted for their roles in arranging for hundreds of people to fraudulently apply for California Employment Development Department benefits.
Constantin reportedly helped hundreds of applicants apply for EDD benefits using fraudulent documents. Applicants allegedly paid Constantin a partial fee up front for assisting with fraudulent applications, and another fee after applicants received EDD payments.
Prosecutors allege that Constantin, who was arrested by Romanian authorities last November, recruited many of the applicants through Facebook and met applicants at parks throughout Southern California to complete the application process.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Constantin personally sent more than $128,000 in proceeds gained from the alleged fraud to associates in Romania.
Among the 14 defendants, husband and wife Eduard Buse and Florentina Sima pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges earlier this month. Three other defendants are slated to plead guilty next week.
City News Service contributed to this report.