Lawmaker’s Brothers Charged With Fraud

Two brothers of Oxnard City Councilman Andres Herrera were charged Thursday with felony welfare fraud for their part in a scheme in which prosecutors say three Oxnard men received $1,879 in illegal payments.

Jesus Herrera, 27, a county welfare eligibility worker until he was fired last October, is suspected of authorizing $859 in dependent children’s payments for his brother, Tomas Herrera, 30, even though Tomas’ child did not live with him, prosecutors said.

Jesus Herrera also is accused of approving a $200 emergency welfare payment for a nonexistent child of his 28-year-old neighbor, Juan DeJesus, prosecutors said.

While still working for the county’s Public Social Services Agency, Jesus Herrera also cashed two welfare checks totaling $820 that were returned by a legitimate welfare recipient, prosecutors said.

“The recipient returned those checks because he was not entitled to them,” Special Assistant Dist. Atty. Donald Coleman said. “He was honest, but Mr. Herrera forged and cashed those checks for his own purposes.”

Both Herreras were arrested Thursday, concluding a nine-month investigation by welfare department investigators and the district attorney. Each was released on $5,000 bail, authorities said.

DeJesus was already in custody in Ventura County Jail for failing to appear in court on motor vehicle violations and charges of being under the influence of drugs, deputies said.

Jesus Herrera, charged with three counts of felony fraud, faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in prison and a $15,000 fine. The other suspects are charged with welfare fraud and perjury and face up to three years in prison and fines of $5,000 each.

Prosecutor Coleman said he was not surprised that the men allegedly risked so much for so little money.

“I don’t know what was going through their minds,” Coleman said. “But I surmise that they felt it was so simple, so easy to do.”

Oxnard City Councilman Andres Herrera was not involved in his brothers’ alleged scheme, authorities said. The councilman could not be reached for comment.

Jesus Herrera, reached at home, declined comment on the charges. “I’m not saying anything,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on yet.”

Jesus Herrera’s alleged scheme was detected in October by his supervisor and by routine welfare department security checks, agency director James Isom said in a press release.

The supervisor discovered that two welfare applicants, including Tomas Herrera, had the same case number, and that it was Jesus Herrera who had assigned the duplicate number to his brother, according to the press statement.

Isom said the illegal activity was spotted almost immediately and that the eligibility worker was promptly fired.

“Welfare fraud is a serious crime and is even more egregious when a public servant . . . participates in a scheme to fraudulently allow friends and family to receive welfare,” Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury said.