Insurance Department Announces More Voucher Fraud Charges

The California Department of Insurance on Monday announced that people associated with two vocational schools, and the chief executive of one of the largest vocational counseling centers in the state, are facing dozens of felonies for alleged Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit voucher fraud. The department said Hazel Ortega, 54, Gemi Bertran, 54, and Elbert Irving, 41, were arraigned on 31 felony counts for allegedly orchestrating a kickback and forgery scheme. The SJDB voucher program helps pay for retraining and some tools for workers with a permanent disability who have not been offere...