Romanian Couple Arrested For $5 Million Unemployment Aid Fraud in San Jose
San Jose, CA: A Romanian couple involved in a scam that allegedly obtained over $5 million in undeserved California unemployment benefits pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in San Diego federal court.
Eduard Buse, 30, and Florentina Sima, 29, were two of 14 individuals charged with recruiting and assisting several individuals in applying for California Employment Development Department benefits through the use of deceitful paperwork.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reports that the state paid out roughly $5.2 million in bogus claims in total.
Buse personally received almost $28,000 in benefits and facilitated $244,050 in payouts to 14 individuals, including his wife, as stated in his plea deal.
The pair transferred about $200,000 in fraudulent earnings to Romania, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Additionally, Buse utilized funds acquired from the scam to purchase a 2020 BMW X6 for $105,044.
Romanian officials confiscated the BMW, cash, and luxury watches from the suspects, who have agreed to surrender them as part of their pleas.
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