Pacoima Man Dies a Day Before Start of Prison Term
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LOS ANGELES — A Pacoima man convicted of welfare fraud died Monday, less than a day before he was to begin serving a three-year prison sentence, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office is investigating the death of Ruben H. Mattioli, 41, who was scheduled to surrender in Superior Court Tuesday morning. He was pronounced dead at County-USC Medical Center Monday afternoon after paramedics transported him from a clinic at 1300 N. Mission Blvd.
Coroner’s office spokesman Scott Carrier said there was no outward indication of foul play.
Mattioli and his mother Atanacia, 67, collaborated with a county Department of Public Social Services worker to embezzle a combined $123,000 from welfare rolls. Mattioli pleaded guilty last month to theft of government funds. His mother pleaded no contest to similar charges and received three years probation and a $200 fine.
Former county employee Karina Hopewell, 34, of Palmdale, pleaded guilty to welfare fraud last November and was sentenced to three years in prison.
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