SD prosecutor charges man with over $5 million in COVID-19 scam

San Diego federal prosecutors on Thursday indicted a man who allegedly worked with more than 200 associates to collect millions in ill-gotten unemployment benefits meant to help Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Constantin Sandu, 33, from Romania, is accused of stealing more than $5.2 million in California unemployment benefits with the help of 214 unnamed Romanian accomplices located in both California and Romania.

U.S. Attorneys allege Sandu and others falsified documents and filed false claims with the state Department of Economic Development between fall 2020 and last summer.

U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said Sandu “managed a vast network of international scammers to use a program designed to help struggling California workers survive the pandemic.”

Sandu, who is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud, was arrested on Wednesday by FBI agents at the Imperial Beach border patrol station.

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