Woman to Stand Trial in Welfare Fraud Case

A Pacoima grandmother was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on welfare fraud charges for allegedly collecting benefits for an out-of-state granddaughter and two bogus children, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Atanacia Mattioli, 67, allegedly collaborated with a county Department of Public Social Services employee in a scheme through which she improperly collected about $15,000 in welfare benefits, said Deputy Dist. Atty. John Allen. The county worker, Karina Hopewell, was also accused of collaborating with Mattioli’s son, Ruben, in other welfare fraud schemes.

The three, who were arrested in May, are accused of taking a total of about $123,000 in welfare money, Allen said.

Mattioli appeared Wednesday in Los Angeles Municipal Court downtown, where she waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

Hopewell, a Palmdale resident who had worked for the Department of Public Social Services’ Pasadena office, pleaded guilty Nov. 10 to charges of welfare fraud, Allen said. She was sentenced to three years in state prison.

“The scheme was quite ingenious,” Allen said. “What Hopewell did was find open welfare cases--people who were already on welfare. She would add bogus kids and made up bogus Social Security numbers.”

Mattioli allegedly claimed that a granddaughter lived with her and collected welfare checks when the girl actually lived in Florida, Allen said. Then, with Hopewell’s help, she allegedly collected benefits for two more children that turned out to be nonexistent.

The scam crumbled when the county department discovered the fake Social Security numbers, Allen said.

Mattioli, who is free on $25,000 bail, is due to return to court Dec. 1.