Tag: fraud

‘Ghost students’ continue to steal millions in financial aid from California community colleges, report says

“Ghost students” continue to steal millions in financial aid from the California Community College System despite efforts to stop them, a new report finds.

While Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said there is $1 billion in fraudulent financial aid paid out to the scammers, who might use bots to enroll and participate in class, the number is likely much larger according to a professor interviewed by Open the Books and The College Fix.

Kim Rich, a criminal justice professor at Pierce College, said she determined half of the students in her classes are fake.

Rich told The Fix that she has tried “to stop this fraud in its tracks for the past four years,” but she doesn’t “feel like [she’s] anywhere closer.” She previously spoke to The Fix in 2022 after determining about 36 percent of the students of newly-issued student ids were fake just from one week period at her college. She regularly comments on the problem of fake students.

In the spring 2025 semester, according to the Open the Books report, 24 students in Rich’s 40-student class were fake. Rich estimated that if just one ‘ghost student’ were enrolled in each of the 4,000 online classes offered in Los Angeles community colleges per semester, the nine schools in the county would lose a combined $20 million per semester.

Referencing the expected ID verification mandate the chancellor’s office planned to implement on Oct. 30 Rich told The Fix that she is “not very confident it will solve the problem or even reduce the instances of financial aid fraud, mainly because none of the other efforts or millions of dollars they have spent to remedy this issue have.”

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6 Reasons Congress Should Let The Enhanced Obamacare Subsidies Expire

After a series of scary headlines, prompted in no small part by fearmongering on the left, Obamacare’s open enrollment period is finally upon us. For those individuals about to explore their options on the Exchange, or those who just want to learn more about the issues behind the government shutdown, here are some fast facts about open enrollment and the enhanced Exchange subsidies currently scheduled to expire on Dec. 31.

1. Nearly half of all Exchange enrollees currently qualify for “free” premiums.

Under the original, circa 2010 version of Obamacare, all households had to pay at least 2 percent of their income toward a “benchmark” silver-level insurance plan. In theory, some households could qualify for a “skinnier” bronze-level insurance plan with no out-of-pocket premium (and a higher deductible as a result), but most households paid something for their coverage.

However, the Covid-era enhanced subsidies passed by the Biden administration allowed households with incomes below 150 percent of poverty to qualify for zero-dollar (i.e., “free”) premiums. Perhaps unsurprisingly, households reporting income below this threshold have risen to nearly half (45 percent) of all Exchange enrollees. While the left views this policy outcome as a feature, most taxpayers would likely consider it a bug, for the obvious reason below.

2. CBO and others have found millions of fraudulent enrollees, costing tens of billions of dollars annually.

The Congressional Budget Office found 2.3 million enrollees “improperly claimed [subsidies] via intentional overstatement of income” in 2025, falsely claiming income just above the poverty level to qualify for subsidies. Applying the average Exchange subsidy to this population results in estimated fraudulent spending of $13.9 billion per year.

A separate study from the Paragon Health Institute took a broader look at fraud, examining areas where enrollees have incentives to understate and overstate their income to qualify for the richest subsidies. (Disclosure: While I have done work for Paragon, I had no involvement with this particular report and am writing this article on my own behalf.) This broader examination of Exchange program integrity found 6.4 million potentially fraudulent enrollees in 2025, for which the federal government is paying $27.1 billion this year alone.

3. If the enhanced subsidies expire, the federal government will still pay 75-80 percent of enrollees’ premiums on average. 

No, that’s not a typo. A graphic from the leftist think tank KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) admits as much. 

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Tim Walz Donor and Former Minneapolis Chamber CEO INDICTED on Five Counts of Bank and Wire Fraud — Accused of Embezzling $200K and Stealing $30K Reward Money for Unsolved Child Murder Cases

Former Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jonathan Weinhagen, a frequent donor to Democrat Governor Tim Walz, has been indicted on five federal counts of bank and wire fraud for allegedly embezzling more than $200,000 from the chamber and stealing $30,000 meant to help solve child murder cases.

According to federal prosecutors, Weinhagen carried out a six-year scheme between December 2019 and June 2024, using fake companies, fraudulent contracts, and even a phony obituary to cover his tracks.

According to FOX 9, Weinhagen ran an elaborate fraud operation from December 2019 through June 2024, when he abruptly left his position at the Chamber. Prosecutors allege that Weinhagen created a fake consulting company called Synergy Partners and used an alias, James Sullivan, to funnel money to himself.

He also allegedly:

  • Opened a $125,000 line of credit in the chamber’s name and funneled the money into his fake company.
  • Faked the death of his alias, publishing an obituary for “James Sullivan” when the chamber began asking questions.
  • Diverted $30,000 in reward money that had been donated to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to help solve the shooting deaths of three children in 2021 — crimes that remain unsolved.
  • Tried to fraudulently obtain a $54,661 loan from SoFi Bank by claiming he worked for a restaurant group and earned $425,000 annually — both lies.

Federal prosecutors say the total embezzled amount exceeds $200,000.

Weinhagen also stole a total of $30,000 in reward money that had been earmarked to help find suspects.

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OUTRAGEOUS: Trump CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz Uncovers Over $1 BILLION in Fraudulent Healthcare Spending for ILLEGAL ALIENS Including Murderers and Rapists

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Trump-appointed Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), just dropped a bombshell on national television, exposing over one BILLION dollars in fraudulent healthcare spending for illegal immigrants.

Appearing on Mornings with Maria on Friday, Oz revealed that his agency uncovered billions of taxpayer dollars funneled to illegal aliens in Democrat-run states, a direct violation of federal law.

“Maria, just in the last few months, in the few states that we’ve examined—less than half a dozen—we’ve identified more than a billion dollars, with a B, of federal tax dollars that have gone to illegal immigrants. We’re actually calling that money back from those states now.

But the fact that this could still happen is very frustrating to all of us. Why would you want to repeal that after all the work that was put into ensuring that these programs, which work so well for vulnerable populations, would remain intact financially?”

During a “Fox & Friends” interview with Ainsley Earhardt last week, Dr. Oz blasted Democrat-led states for abusing taxpayer funds while gaslighting Americans about the extent of fraud within the Medicaid system.

According to Oz, CMS investigators discovered that Democrat-run states like California, Illinois, New York, and Minnesota have been using federal Medicaid dollars to provide full dental, vision, and comprehensive healthcare to illegal immigrants, services that even Medicare recipients don’t receive.

Oz said the Trump administration’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” was designed to block this very abuse and claw back stolen funds. But now, Democrats in Congress are trying to repeal the bill, which would reopen the floodgates for illegal spending.

The $1 billion figure may just be the beginning. Oz said his agency has only reviewed a fraction of states so far, and the full amount of misused funds could be “significantly higher.”

He revealed that some states have already started returning funds, acknowledging their wrongdoing as CMS tightens audits.

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Biden Judge Gives Letitia James Her First Win

A Biden-appointed judge gave Letitia James her first win on Friday.

Corrupt New York Attorney General Letitia James was arraigned in court in Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday morning.

Letitia James’ federal criminal case was assigned to US District Judge Jamar Walker, a Biden appointee.

Jamar Walker was appointed by Joe Biden in 2023.

James was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia earlier this month.

According to the DOJ, Letitia James was charged with two crimes: Bank Fraud under 18 U.S.C. Section 1344 and False Statements to a Financial Institution under 18 U.S.C. Section 1014.

The charges are related to a mortgage loan on a property James owns in Norfolk, Virginia, referred to as “the Perrone Property.”

According to the indictment, James was to use the property as her secondary residence and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property.

Letitia James treated her Perrone property like an investment property on her Schedule E form and paid taxes on the rental income, further contradicting her claims of secondary residence.

“If convicted, Letitia James faces penalties including up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count, and forfeiture,” the DOJ said.

On Friday Letitia James filed a motion to dismiss the federal indictment arguing that US Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as interim US Attorney is in violation of the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.

“Attorney General Letitia A. James, by and through undersigned counsel, pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12(b) moves this Court to dismiss the Government’s indictment because purported interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan had no authority to bring the charges in this case. As explained further below, Ms. Halligan’s purported appointment as interim U.S. Attorney was invalid under 28 U.S.C § 546 and in violation of the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution,” James’s attorney argued in a motion reviewed by The Gateway Pundit.

James also asked Judge Jamar Walker to consolidate her motion challenging the appointment of Halligan with James Comey’s motion in a separate case.

Recall that fired FBI Director James Comey also filed a motion to disqualify Lindsey Halligan after he was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia.

On Tuesday, the Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Comey’s motion challenging Halligan to be transferred to Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, a Clinton appointee.

On Friday, Judge Jamar Walker granted Letitia James’ request to consolidate her motion with Comey’s similar motion so the Clinton judge can decide whether Lindsey Halligan will be disqualified in both cases.

The fix is in.

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Deep State Prosecutors in Maryland Claim DOJ Doesn’t Have Strong Enough Case to Charge Adam Schiff with Mortgage Fraud in Latest Leak to Media – Todd Blanche Responds!

Deep State prosecutors in Maryland are defending Adam Schiff amid an investigation into his mortgage fraud.

Democrat Senator Adam Schiff (CA) is under investigation for mortgage fraud, specifically occupancy fraud.

The Gateway Pundit’s Joe Hoft was first to report on Schiff’s mortgage fraud back in April 2023.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham over the summer exclusively reported that the US Attorney’s Office in Maryland is investigating Schiff for possible charges involving mortgage fraud.

In 2000 Schiff was elected to Congress and has served as a US House member from the state of California ever since. Schiff reportedly purchased a home in Maryland with his wife in 2003 stating they would occupy this home for 12 consecutive months as their “primary residence”. Despite this claim, Schiff continued to vote in California.

Schiff refinanced his home in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 claiming the Maryland home was his primary residence. In 2009, a House Ethics investigation claimed that Schiff did this and Schiff claimed it was an error and he repaid the exempt taxes to the state of Maryland.

Maryland prosecutors are now defending Schiff by anonymously leaking to the media and claiming that there is no evidence to charge the Democrat Senator with crimes.

Over the summer, President Trump called for Adam Schiff to be prosecuted and dropped receipts on the Democrat Senator’s mortgage fraud.

“Adam Schiff is a THIEF! He should be prosecuted, just like they tried to prosecute me, and everyone else — The only difference is, WE WERE TOTALLY INNOCENT, IT WAS ALL A GIANT HOAX!” President Trump said on Truth Social.

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RFK Jr. Gave Ed Martin a List of 28 Scientific Studies that Defrauded the American Public – The Scientific Journals Have Been Put on Notice

On Wednesday morning James Lyons-Weiler joined Steve Bannon on The War Room to discuss the “weaponization of science” and its destructive effects on the American people.

James Lyons-Weiler is an American scientist and activist who operates the non-profit organization Institute for Pure and Applied Knoledge. Lyons-Weiler holds a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology.

Lyons-Weiler explained the epidemic of fraud in today’s scientific community.

James Lyons-Weilor: I know for a fact that if there’s a narrative that the former CDC or NIAID with Anthony Fauci had to have for public health. If you’re at a university and you actually went against the green, your university got a call and all of your NIH funding was threatened over, let’s say, HPV vaccine safety or MMR vaccine safety… There’s a mix of fraud in weaponized science and then use of science in a way that is just fooling the public, right?

Steve Bannon: Can you give me a specific example of either fraud or weaponization in this regards?

James Lyons-Weilor: Yeah, absolutely. So when the CDC whistleblower, who I’m sure you’ve heard about, William Thompson came out. He told Brian Hooker that a study that was published in 2004 by Frank DeStefano and a lot of people at the CDC actually buried data so the institutes of medicine could look at it, that the MMR vaccine did indeed seem to contribute to an increased risk of autism in African-American boys. And they manipulated the study by dropping everybody from the study that didn’t have a Georgia birth certificate just to reduce the sample size, which is the number of people in the study. So the statistics couldn’t pick it up. And that’s fraud. So the demarcation between science and fraud is something that’s been going on for decades, over 100 years…

…Coleen Boyle, Frank DeStefano, others. They were absolutely hired to go to work at CDC because they knew how to fix the science, the data, the fraud.

Lyons-Weilor says we are likely going to see prosecutions over the science fraud.

James Lyons-Weilor: I think that we’re going to probably see some prosecutions on the basis of defrauding the federal government. If I’m funded by the federal government to do science, to do research, and I falsify the data, I can be fined personally, and I can be banned from doing research for 10 years…

…Ed Martin. He was at the Association of Physicians and Surgeons meeting last month. I was there Yes. And he made an announcement that Mr. Kennedy, Secretary Kennedy, gave him a list of 28 studies with the journals and layperson’s summaries that actually they were wrongfully retracted and that those journals have been put on notice by the attorney general’s office. And I was asked by Secretary Kennedy to put that list together for him.

Lyons Weilor ended the interview suggesting that there is a government investigation into the individuals who scammed the American public and lied to them about the dangers of particular vaccines.

These deceitful officials may finally face justice for the dangerous policies they pushed on the American public.

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How Letitia James’s Fake Marriage to Her Dad Sparked a Lifetime of Mortgage Fraud

How did Letitia James’s claim that she married her father in order to qualify for her first loan evolve into a lifetime of mortgage and bank fraud?

It all began in the spring of 1983, when a 24-year-old Letitia James and her father, Robert James, posing as “husband and wife,” took out a real-estate loan for $30,300 from Kadilac Funding Ltd. for the purchase of a two-story townhome in Queens. The loan document, signed by both, listed “ROBERT JAMES AND LETITIA JAMES, HIS WIFE” in three separate places. This was no clerical error.

At that time, young Letitia likely lacked sufficient income or credit to qualify for a mortgage as a single woman. The fraudulent claim of marriage to her father allowed her to obtain financing she otherwise couldn’t have, an act that meets the legal definition of mortgage fraud under state and federal statutes.

This deception set a precedent for her. Once Letitia discovered that falsifying personal information could deliver tangible financial rewards without consequence, the act of misrepresentation for loans became a lifelong habit.

Decades of mortgage misrepresentations followed. Even after she became the high-profile Attorney General of New York state on January 1, 2019, James continued the same behavior pattern.

In 2020, James purchased a property at 3121 Perone Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia, signing a document claiming it would be her primary or secondary residence, rather than a rental property, to secure a lower interest rate. That misrepresentation recently became part of the criminal indictment against her for mortgage and bank fraud, carrying a potential 30-year prison sentence.

In 2021, James applied for a $200,000 line of credit mortgage from Citizen’s Bank on her 5-unit apartment building in Brooklyn, but in mortgage documents James claimed it only had one apartment unit. Accordingly, James received a lower residential mortgage interest rate she was not entitled to, and avoided a higher commercial loan rate and much higher closing costs.

In 2023, James bought a home at 604 Sterling Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia. Per Sam Antar, Letitia qualified for the loan only after certifying in an updated application that it would be her “primary residence”, even though she lived in Brooklyn.

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2 LA men charged with fraud in misuse of public funds meant for combating homelessness

Two Los Angeles-area men faced federal charges in separate criminal cases as they are both accused of fraudulently acquiring public funds that were allocated to address homelessness and build affordable housing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

Cody Holmes of Beverly Hills was in custody as of Thursday after he allegedly used fake bank records to receive nearly $26 million from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for Shangri-La Industries LLC, for which he previously served as a CFO.

The money from Project Homekey was supposed to be used to build affordable housing in Thousand Oaks, but instead, Holmes, 31, spent the money to pay credit card bills and purchase good at luxury retailers, the DOJ alleged.

“Even though the developer received all the money from the state, the developer did not complete the construction of the Thousand Oaks project,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference Thursday. “Essentially, he stole the money.”

In a separate case, Steven Taylor, a developer and real state agent, of Brentwood was released on a $3.6 million bond, the DOJ said, after he was charged with bank fraud, identity theft and money laundering.

Federal investigators said Taylor also used fake bank records to obtain loans and lines of credit. The 44-year-old is accused of using the fraudulently obtained funds to flip a Cheviot Hills home and selling it to a homeless housing developer for more than double his original purchase.

“Taylor had contracted to sell the property, which he acquired for only $11 million, fraudulently, to Weingart, a homeless housing developer, that purchased the property for a whopping $27 million in a transaction that was hidden from the victim lender and others,” Essayli added.

Akil Davis, FBI’s assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. said Taylor also tried to enrich his business in high-end neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

“Taylor’s actions not only misled banks, but also took advantage of the city and state’s efforts to combat the homelessness crisis, Davis said.

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Letitia James’ ‘fugitive’ relative who lives in her Virginia home was arrested twice for assaulting cops: docs

New York’s top law enforcer is housing a cop-hating fugitive relative with a lengthy felony rap sheet — who was twice arrested for assaulting police officers — at one of her Virginia homes, according to court documents.

State Attorney General Letitia James’ grandniece, Nakia Thompson, 36, is wanted for “absconding” from North Carolina after failing to complete the terms of her parole following a 2011 arrest in Winston-Salem, authorities said.

In that case, she was charged with malicious conduct by a prisoner, a felony, along with assault of a government official and resisting a public officer, court records show.

But Thompson has also been repeatedly arrested and cited in Virginia, since moving there — with charges including possession of burglary tools, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and grand larceny.

Since 2020, Thompson has been living at a house owned by James in Norfolk, which is now at the center of a criminal indictment against the AG.

That same year, Thompson was given two years’ probation and ordered to pay $2,020 in fees after she pleaded guilty to petit and grand larceny charges — both felonies, according to court records.

She also had a handful of misdemeanor charges dropped, as well as the felony burglary tools possession charge. 

She has also racked up nine separate vehicle offenses, including as recently as this summer.

In July, Thompson was hit with four citations in a single day, including driving 80 mph in a 55 zone and stopping her vehicle improperly on a highway.

The year before she was once again ticketed for going 80 in a 55, and got a summons for improper child restraint, for which she was later found guilty in absentia and fined $50.

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