The state filed a lawsuit against the Southern California Food Bank, claiming its leader diverted more than $11 million in state funds to enrich himself and his families over a decade.
After the state halted all funds, nearly 50 years of Long Beach nonprofits closed most of their businesses in September, with California Highway Patrol agents storming the building as part of an investigation into the nonprofit’s government’s use of money.
For years, the Food Bank operated as a grocery and meal hub that served hundreds of grocery stores in Long Beach and South Los Angeles for funding from the Department of Social Services.
However, a state lawsuit filed on March 25th alleges that board members used money on their trip to Las Vegas, including home renovations, cell phones, smartwatches, Christmas decorations, trucks and for-profit business ventures. The lawsuit was first reported by The Daily Journal.
“For at least the last decade, food bank executives, directors and vendors have worked together to divert millions of dollars in state and federal funds from these most vulnerable communities into their own pockets,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit is named after 10 current or previous board members and two families.
Food Bank CEO Brian Weaver told the Times in an interview Monday that he was appalled when he was named in the lawsuit, saying that he had been working to eradicate fraud in the organization since taking over as CEO last spring.
He said he hired a forensic accounting firm to investigate internal corruption after discovering suspicious payments worth millions of dollars.
“Evidence of almost all of their [the state’s attorneys] Have is based on a forensic investigation we started,” he said, referring to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that former board of directors’ Treasury Secretary Giuseppe Brigglio and his relative Abele Brigglio have poured more than $6.28 million state funds into contracts with private companies that provided “products or services that do not exist or cannot be used” to the food bank.
Another former board member, Dion Lambo is accused of signing a contract with his company, Southwest Group, to provide advertising services to nonprofits. The company received $279,749 from the Food Bank, but did not provide contracted services, the lawsuit alleges.
“Based on information and belief, Defendant Rambo maintained these funds for personal use,” according to the lawsuit.
Rambo said the state’s claims were inaccurate and the nonprofit received items from the brand they contracted to offer, except for a brochure that former CEO Jeanne Cooper requested changes.
Cooper and her husband, Lamar Ramsey, are accused of paying more than $250,000 by the Department of Human Services. The state claims she bought an artificial Christmas tree with cell phones, smartwatches, home renovations, furniture, home lawn services, gas cards, gift cards and food bank funds.
Cooper, Ramsey and Brigagrios did not immediately respond to the Times request for comment.
In an October statement to NBC4, Cooper refused to use nonprofit funds for personal use. At the time, she told the station that she warned state officials of continued misuse of funds.
Cooper resigned as CEO in March 2024 and was replaced by Weaver.
The state lawsuit alleges that Weaver will use government funds to purchase a personal Tesla and write a $20,000 cashier check.
Weaver said Tesla is a work vehicle registered in his name because it is cheaper to get his personal insurance after a former employee crashes his previous work car. He said the checks were used to pay for services completed on the company’s truck after the state freezes all funds to the nonprofit.
Among the others named in the complaint is community activist “sweet” Alice Harris. He founded the parents of Watts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged youth and families in Watts.
The lawsuit alleges that Harris used her position on the Food Bank board to raise more than $173,000 in funding for Watts’ parents.
She is also accused of using her role to hire her granddaughter as a payroll employee and appoint her son-in-law to the board. She did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Weaver laments that the food bank’s business was shut down due to the probe. According to its website, the nonprofit provides £40 to £60 million of food per year to its £275 pantry, serving more than 850,000 individuals with more than £850,000 food individuals.
“A lot of people are hungry,” he said. “A lot of people are suffering.”
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