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Two LAPD Officers Charged in Alleged COVID Unemployment Fraud

Prosecutors say the case arose from a DA-led review conducted with the LAPD’s Special Operations Division of pandemic benefit claims within the department.

Overview

  • Police Officer III Peter Mastrocinque and Police Officer II Nicole Grant were taken into custody Friday after surrendering to LAPD investigators.
  • They were booked, released, and placed on administrative leave as criminal and departmental investigations proceed.
  • Prosecutors charged both with insurance fraud and making a false statement in an insurance application tied to alleged claims filed in 2020 and 2021.
  • Authorities say their applications were flagged during a broader review of potentially fraudulent unemployment benefits, and investigators found probable cause they received payments.
  • The amounts at issue have not been disclosed, and the filings come two weeks after a separate workers’ compensation fraud charge against another LAPD officer.