Welfare Fraud Sentences Run From Prison to Fines

In a series of sentencings involving the largest welfare fraud scheme in the history of the county, one defendant was ordered Friday to serve three years in state prison, and five people were ordered to pay the maximum amount of restitution allowed.

Uncovered by investigators after operating for nearly 3 1/2 years, the scheme was masterminded by two welfare department employees and cost the county as much as $1 million.

Twenty people were involved in the fraud, in which the two employees set up bogus accounts for friends and relatives in the program known as Aid to Families With Dependent Children. The workers received a kickback.

All 20 people pleaded guilty in the case. Most admitted to misappropriating public funds.

The scheme was uncovered during a routine audit by state officials.

Municipal Judge Nicholas Kasimatis, who has administered the case since charges were filed nearly one year ago, again Friday blamed the fraud on the greed of those involved.

“Your faith in fellow man and woman is destroyed. . . . Me first, that’s what all these cases are about,” Kasimatis said.

Sentenced Friday were:

* Susan Louise Hernandez, 41, of Chula Vista, to three years in state prison.

* Patricia Maria Padilla, 49, of Bonita, to one year in County Jail. Padilla is the sister of one of the ringleaders, Victoria Clarissa Aguirre.

* Maria Magdelena Contreras, 36, of Chula Vista, to one year of house arrest under an electronic monitoring program.

* Beverly Louise Najera, 51, of San Diego, to six months in jail.

Suzette Rochelle Padilla of Bonita, the 24-year-old daughter of Patricia Padilla, was not ordered to spend any time in custody, but, like all of the other defendants, she will spend five years on probation.

Each defendant was ordered to pay $10,000 restitution to the county. A quirk in the law prevented the judge from ordering the offenders to pay back all losses for which they were responsible.