Two Los Angeles Police Department officers suspected of committing unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic were arrested Friday.
Officers Peter Mastrocinque and Nicole Grant were arrested by personnel from the department’s Special Operations Division’s Major Complaint Unit, which is responsible for investigating criminal misconduct by department employees, police said.
Both officers surrendered, were booked and later released, police said.
The Major Complaint Unit’s investigation followed a 2023 review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office of suspected unemployment Insurance fraud involving applications submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic, police said.
Mastrocinque and Grant sought unemployment insurance benefits in 2020 and 2021, police said.
The two officers have both been charged by the District Attorney’s Office with insurance fraud and making a false statement in an application for insurance, police said.
Both officers are assigned to Newton Division and have been placed on administrative leave, police said.