The executive director of a South Los Angeles charity that received $23 million in homeless housing funding was arrested Friday on federal charges alleging he used the money to purchase a $7 million house in Westwood, a $125,000 Range Rover, private school tuition for his children, and a vacation home in Greece.
Alexander Soofer, 42, of Westwood, is charged with wire fraud and is expected to make his initial appearance Friday afternoon in federal court in Santa Ana.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Soofer is the executive director of Abundant Blessings, a Hyde Park-based charity. Through the charity, Soofer contracted with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to provide housing and meals for people who were homeless or were at risk of becoming homeless.
“The only abundant blessings he gave were to himself,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said, adding that a state case had also been lodged against Soofer.
By July 2023, Soofer had multiple contracts with LAHSA to provide housing and supportive services to more than 600 homeless program participants at multiple sites across South Los Angeles, prosecutors said.
Between 2018 and 2025, Soofer received more than $23 million in homeless housing funding. Of that, more than $5 million came directly from LAHSA and more than $17 million came through a downtown Los Angeles-based nonprofit called Special Service for Groups Inc., court papers show.
Federal prosecutors allege that in some contracts, Soofer agreed to house participants at sites he managed. In others, he expressed plans to house people at hotels or motels, while everyone being sheltered would be provided with three nutritional meals a day, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
But Soofer allegedly lied to LAHSA about how he was using the money his charity received, and instead misappropriated millions of dollars for himself.
He also allegedly lied about payments supposedly being made to third-party vendors for housing services, while the money was actually being diverted to his personal bank accounts. Prosecutors contend Soofer claimed to be leasing properties for homeless housing from third-party landlords at a market rate, when he was instead paying himself above market rate.
To cover up the fraud, Soofer allegedly fabricated fake and misleading invoices — at times stealing the names, addresses, and logos of real companies — to make it appear that the vendor and rent payments were legitimate, prosecutors said.
In response to complaints and discrepancies in Soofer’s billing documents, city and county investigators conducted site visits and found the only food items being served at the sites were things such as Ramen noodles, canned beans, and breakfast bars — not the nutritious meals he contended were being provided, according to court papers.
Soofer allegedly pocketed at least $10 million — using the public money for a down payment on his Westwood home and millions of dollars of upgrades, private schooling for his kids, trips to Las Vegas, private jet travel, and stays at luxury resorts from Hawaii to Florida, prosecutors said.
Soofer also appeared to use $475,000 to purchase a vacation property in Greece, sending the money to a Greek property developer.
A criminal complaint filed against Soofer in state court alleges conflict of interest in 11 contracts, Hochman said.
If convicted of the federal fraud charge, Soofer would face up to 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors noted. The state case carries a 17-year maximum prison sentence upon conviction, Hochman said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reacted to news of the arrest, saying in a statement her administration “has zero tolerance for fraud — period.”
“It’s despicable that Mr. Soofer lied to the city and LAHSA for his personal gain and he took advantage of tax-payer funds meant to help unhoused Angelenos across South Los Angeles,” Bass said.
City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez said the arrest points to the need for the city to contract directly with homeless service providers rather than working through LAHSA.
“This case is yet another example of the enormous resources that have been wasted while people remain unhoused and without help,” she said. “This is indefensible and must end now.”