Crime

Attorney General Sues Parents

THE AFRO — Sixteen families in the D.M.V. are being sued by the District of Columbia, who seeks more than $2.9 million from parents it says falsified residency records to enroll their children in public schools for free. A few of those parents are also accused of residency fraud to receive public assistance.

Published

5 years ago

September 27, 2019

Oakland Post

District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine is suing families who have falsified residency records in order to send their children to D.C. public schools for free and receive public assistance. (Courtesy Photo)

By Mark F. Gray

Sixteen families in the D.M.V. are being sued by the District of Columbia, who seeks more than $2.9 million from parents it says falsified residency records to enroll their children in public schools for free. A few of those parents are also accused of residency fraud to receive public assistance.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced on Sept. 5 that the city is seeking more than $2.9 million from parents who are the latest to be charged in the ongoing investigation. The case into residency fraud includes allegations against five current or former government workers including District of Columbia Police Officer Edward Smith.

District residents are allowed to enroll their children in city public schools for free. On the other hand, those who live outside of the District must pay at least $10k a year in tuition to enroll their children in DCPS schools. D.C. law allows authorities to seek triple the amount owed in unpaid tuition if found guilty of fraud.

This is the second time this year that Attorney General Racine’s office filed more than half a dozen cases before the court. In March, the D.C. Attorney General’s Office filed lawsuits against seven people for falsely claiming residency in the District only to send their children to D.C. public schools for free. In those lawsuits, the city sought more than $700k in unpaid tuition and penalties.

“Residency fraud not only cheats our taxpayers, but it also hurts District children who play by the rules, and frequently rely on the school lottery process to attend the schools of their choice,” Mr. Racine said in a statement at that time. “Our office will continue to bring actions against any individuals who try to fraudulently take advantage of free schooling for District students.”

Racine said his office is committed to aggressively pursuing those who abused D.C.’s policies. The parents named in the most recent lawsuits either lived in Maryland or Virginia while their child attended District schools. They are accused of enrolling their children as District residents and sending their children to District schools while neglecting to pay out-of-state tuition.

In three cases, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleges that parents lied about being D.C. residents in order to receive Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF benefits. Defendants allegedly made statements claiming they lived at addresses in the District.

These parents who sent their children to D.C. schools were required to submit enrollment forms and residency verification forms for each of their children. Allegedly, the parents in question illegally used District addresses that belonged to other individuals on the official forms, then signed sworn statements stating they lived in the District.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

15 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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California Black Media

Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman speaks as Asm. James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), left, stands beside him at a news conference in Sacramento concerning retail theft across the state.

By California Black Media

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.

Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.

“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.

Ramos said the need to act is urgent.

“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.

Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.

According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.

In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.

“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.

“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.

AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.