A Southern California-based nonprofit CEO pleaded guilty Monday to fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, using stolen identities to steal nearly $1.5 million, officials say.

According to the Department of Justice, Reginald Foster Jr., 38, of Westchester, Los Angeles, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud and one count of unauthorized use of access devices. 

The indictment alleges Foster took advantage of the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, part of the CARES Act passed in 2020 to help people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between June and October of 2020, the DOJ says Foster conspired with others to file fraudulent unemployment claims using the personal information of individuals who did not authorize the applications. 

In total, Foster and his co-conspirators allegedly submitted 118 fraudulent applications to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), using stolen identities to ensure the approval of the claims. 

Foster then received debit cards issued by EDD and transferred funds from those cards to his nonprofit, Champs Up! LLC, which was reportedly created to provide lifestyle and personal development coaching to middle school students in Los Angeles and Long Beach.

According to officials, Foster also withdrew large sums of money from the cards, including multiple $1,000 ATM withdrawals. 

The group ultimately withdrew nearly $1.5 million from the fraudulent claims, according to the DOJ. 

The scheme was purportedly uncovered when EDD and Bank of America froze the remaining benefits, preventing additional losses of more than $4 million.

The DOJ says Foster now faces up to 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 10 years for the unauthorized use of access devices when he is sentenced on March 24, 2025. He remains free on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

Two co-defendants, Shelece Counts, 31, of Los Angeles, and Isaiah Herbert Lawrence, 31, of Houston, Texas, have pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the scheme. A trial is scheduled for January 2025.

A soldier from Fontana has been charged with murder in the death of another soldier at Fort Irwin in San Bernardino County.

Spc. George Cornejo, 26, is accused of killing Spc. Andrew P. Smith on Oct. 28, military officials said in a press release.

Smith, 27, was found injured in his residence that day and later succumbed to his wounds, officials said when announcing his death. The Rye, New York, native had been stationed at Fort Irwin for more than two years.

The manner and possible motivation for the alleged murder were not released.

Cornejo has been in pre-trial custody since Oct. 29, and he’s expected to be transferred to the Naval Consolidated Brig in Miramar.

A preliminary hearing will be held to determine if Cornejo will be tried by court-martial.

Two people were taken to the hospital after a vehicle they were inside plunged into the harbor Sunday night in Marina Del Rey, officials confirmed to KTLA.  

Details are limited and It’s unclear exactly how the incident occurred, but authorities with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to 4675 Admiralty Way just after 6 p.m. on reports of the vehicle in the water.  

L.A. County Fire Department Public Information Officer Marco Rodriguez said the two occupants were able to get themselves out of the vehicle after it went into the water.  

Both were examined by medical personnel with the fire department and taken to a nearby hospital in unknown condition.  

Rodriguez said that two L.A. County Lifeguard divers were deployed to ensure there were no other occupants trapped in the vehicle.  

A witness, Johnny Hamcheck, told KTLA that a third person, a woman, exited the vehicle before it went into water, though officials did not confirm that detail.  

Footage of the recovery effort showed crews attaching large yellow floating devices to the vehicle as it was anchored to a crane and eventually pulled out of the water and loaded onto a tow truck.  

The vehicle showed heavy front-end damage, presumably from crashing through the steel railing and into the water.  

An investigation into the crash is ongoing and no further details were provided.