This time he gained’t be the one banging the gavel.
A California decide used a sham firm to rip-off the state out of 1000’s of {dollars} utilizing fraudulent staff comp funds and a health care provider banned from this system, prosecutors mentioned Wednesday.
A corrupt decide and former prosecutor who put away murders and carjackers, is now dealing with his personal time behind bars after he agreed to plead responsible in an alleged scheme to steal lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} from the Golden State, in response to the DOJ.
Orange County Superior Court docket decide Israel Claustro, 50, agreed to resign and plead responsible to a federal mail fraud cost — which may land him behind bars for as much as 20 years, in response to the US Legal professional’s Workplace for the Central District of California.
The rip-off began when Claustro — who was then a prosecutor — opened medical firm Liberty Medical Group regardless that he wasn’t a doctor or a medical skilled as required underneath state legislation, prosecutors mentioned..
He then employed a disgraced physician, Kevin Tien Do who had misplaced his license after being convicted in 2003 of felony well being care fraud for $300,000, the US Legal professional mentioned.
The 2 conspired collectively to arrange false experiences for California’s Subsequent Accidents Advantages Belief Fund (SIBTF), a particular fund administered to supply further compensation to injured staff.
Based mostly on these fraudulent submitted experiences, Liberty obtained lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} from SIBTF, the legal professional mentioned.
“Choose Claustro violated the legislation for his private monetary profit,” mentioned First Assistant United States Legal professional Invoice Essayli. “We won’t hesitate to prosecute anybody – judges included – who defraud public advantages meant to assist these in want.”
Claustro was a prosecutor in Orange County for almost 20 years, supervising critical, high-profile instances involving homicide, sexual battery, baby abuse and political corruption, in response to the Asian Occasions.
“I imagine that serving as a decide requires humility, an open thoughts, independence, and dedication to the very best moral requirements of the legislation,” he advised the publication when he was operating for decide in 2022.
Do has already pleaded responsible in January 2025 to 1 depend of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one depend of subscribing to a false tax return. He’s anticipated to be sentenced within the coming months.
Claustro will make his preliminary court docket look on Jan.12.
