A Los Angeles man has been arrested for scamming more than $500,000 from families with relatives in the military, along with the University of California and California State University systems.
According to a press release from Attorney General Rob Bonta on Aug. 10, Don Azul was arrested for grand theft, identity theft, forgery, and other crimes. At least $30,000 was stolen from military families and over $500,000 in public funds from around 23 universities.
According to the criminal complaint, between August 1, 2018 and February 22, 2022, Azul defrauded over 40 families by posing as a contractor for the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet).
He persuaded the families to pay at least $500 each for counterfeit College Fee Waiver letters from CalVet. For eligible families, these letters waive college tuition fees for dependents of former or current members of the military….