LA County Probation Officer Charged In Alleged Child-Care Fraud Scheme

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles County probation officer is one of five people accused in a child-care fraud scheme that allegedly cost taxpayers $1.6 million.

Officer Frank Elliot Boyd III’s arrest was another blow to the troubled Probation Department, which has seen 64 employees either arrested or questioned about crimes ranging from burglary to attempted murder over the past year.

Boyd was charged along with his ex-girlfriend and four others on multiple counts involving child-care centers that authorities say never provided child care.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Friday that parents were recruited to apply for state child-care funds. Prosecutors say they received no child-care services but got kickbacks from the scam’s operators instead.

Boyd could face 20 years in prison if convicted.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Ex-LA County GOP Party Exec Arrested For Allegedly Sending Teen Sexually Explicit Messages

BURBANK (CBS/AP) — A former executive director of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County (RPLAC) was arrested Friday for allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to a 16-year-old girl.

Scott Hounsell, 30, was booked on two misdemeanor counts of sending harmful matter to a child, Los Angeles police Lt. Andrea Grossman said. The girl told detectives Hounsell sent her sexually explicit chat messages on a social media website. Hounsell is being held on $40,000 bail.

According to his LinkedIn page, Hounsell has been a field representative and internship coordinator for California state Assemblyman Cameron Smyth.

Jonathan Wilcox, a spokesman for the county’s official Republican organization, said Hounsell resigned June 15.

“Scott Hounsell is a former employee of RPLAC who resigned on June 15th. Until we were contacted by the LAPD today, we had absolutely no knowledge of any information relating to this case. We take this issue very seriously and will fully cooperate with law enforcement any way we can,” he said.

The arrest was made by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — one of 61 local and federal task forces nationwide that focuses on online child victimization.

Hounsell’s Granada Hills neighbors were stunned about the allegations, saying he and his wife were friendly.

“He’s very nice. He’s very friendly,” said Celia Satamian. “He has two kids, he talks to all his neighbors.”

Calls to Hounsell and his family were not immediately returned.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Micro-Quake Rolls Through Northern Orange County

YORBA LINDA (CBSLA.com) — The U.S. Geological Survey says a micro-quake rolled through the northern portion of Orange County.

The USGS says the magnitude-2.5 tremor occurred about 6:18 a.m. Saturday, one mile east-northeast of Yorba Linda, four miles east-northeast of Placentia, and six miles east-southeast of Brea.

The quake occurred at a depth of nearly six miles, according to the USGS. It was centered beneath Yorba Linda High School.

No further information was available.

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