Second state worker pleads guilty in California Office of AIDS fraud scandal
A second state worker has pleaded guilty in connection with a $2 million fraud case involving the California Office of AIDS and will cooperate with prosecutors, authorities said.
Christine Iwamoto, 47, a former manager inside the California Department of Public Health, was charged in federal court in Sacramento earlier this month with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and a plea agreement filed in court Thursday says she agreed to plead guilty and pay restitution of up to $600,000.
Iwamoto’s plea follows a guilty plea in February by Schenelle Flores, another Office of AIDS worker accused of defrauding the state by having a Southern California company bill the office for personal expenses, including tickets to sporting events, concerts and restaurants.
Flores also is cooperating with prosecutors in the investigation, which court documents say involved the use of gift cards, phony companies and email accounts.
Read more: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article255357711.html