MENIFEE, CA — A Menifee homeowner is among eight people charged in six separate felony cases alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $177,000 in public assistance benefits by concealing income and assets, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday.
Rana Soliman, 35, of San Dimas, is accused of improperly receiving $23,255 in CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits between Oct. 5, 2022, and Aug. 31, 2025, while owning a Menifee home valued at approximately $611,100 and collecting rental income from the property.
According to prosecutors, Soliman repeatedly certified under penalty of perjury that she had no assets or income, despite receiving between $3,200 and $3,600 per month in rent. She also allegedly received an initial payment of $19,850 to secure the rental agreement.
Soliman is charged with one felony count of aid by misrepresentation involving more than $950 and four felony counts of perjury by false application for aid. Her case was filed Aug. 3.
A preliminary hearing setting is scheduled for Dec. 11 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.
The six cases involve allegations that eight defendants repeatedly lied on public assistance applications and eligibility recertifications to obtain a combined $177,233.77 in CalWORKs, CalFresh and housing assistance benefits.
The other defendants include an employee of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a California Employment Development Department employee. Prosecutors allege some concealed tens of thousands of dollars in income or assets, while one defendant allegedly concealed ownership of a rental property worth nearly $1 million.
Among the other cases:
Ogi Buyan, 50, of Santa Monica, is accused of obtaining $47,059.77 in public assistance between September 2019 and August 2023 while maintaining two investment accounts with combined monthly balances ranging from $60,000 to more than $1 million. Prosecutors allege Buyan repeatedly reported having little or no money in checking and savings accounts. She faces one felony count of aid by misrepresentation and seven counts of perjury.
Jafar Abdi, 67, and Adrineh Abdi, 58, of Glendale, are accused of obtaining $29,579 in CalFresh benefits between May 2021 and June 2023. Prosecutors allege Adrineh Abdi worked full time at a local college and earned more than $165,000 during that period, while the couple also collected $4,825 per month in rent from a Glendale home valued at approximately $979,000. Both face felony charges of aid by misrepresentation and perjury.
Hasmik Hovhannisyan, 40, and Hayk Grigoryan, 45, of Los Angeles, are accused of obtaining $38,630 in CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits between March 2023 and February 2025. Prosecutors allege the couple failed to disclose income from a bakery they owned, including $115,055 in corporate income between 2022 and 2024. Each faces one felony count of aid by misrepresentation and four counts of perjury.
Nadya Daniels, 41, of Inglewood, is accused of obtaining $21,076 in CalFresh benefits between April 2023 and April 2025 while concealing her employment with the California Employment Development Department. Prosecutors allege she earned between approximately $4,500 and $5,980 per month but repeatedly reported having no income or only part-time retail employment. She faces one felony count of aid by misrepresentation and five counts of perjury.
Nyeisha Nicole Taylor, 41, of Los Angeles, is accused of obtaining $17,634 in CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits between November 2021 and August 2022 while failing to disclose her employment with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Prosecutors allege she earned approximately $1,850 per month after being hired in January 2022. She faces one felony count of aid by misrepresentation and two counts of perjury.
"Public benefits are a lifeline for struggling families, not free cash for fraudsters," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. "While public assistance fraud is a small fraction of the total benefits distributed, even one person who takes advantage of the system is one too many."