CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : OAKLAND : Welfare Fraud Convictions Rise

The number of convictions for welfare fraud in Alameda County has nearly doubled because of a new investigative team, officials said. The unit, which shifted investigation of serious cases from the county’s welfare department to the district attorney’s office, won convictions in 76 cases in 1991, compared with 41 cases in 1990 and 32 in 1989. County supervisors created the unit a year ago after the grand jury suggested that as many as 30% of 101,300 people receiving welfare in Alameda County were cheating but that few were being caught. The 76 convictions in 1991 involved 45 people, some taking part in more than one case. Defendants were accused of taking nearly $1 million from the county illegally. So far, those convicted have been ordered to repay $488,832. Another 44 cases are pending.