The state has filed a lawsuit against the Foodbank of Southern California alleging that its leaders misappropriated more than $11 million in state funds to enrich themselves and their families over the course of a decade.
For years, the food bank operated as a grocery-and-meal distribution hub serving hundreds of food pantries in Long Beach and South Los Angeles thanks to millions of dollars in funding from the Department of Social Services.
But the state’s lawsuit, filed March 25, alleges that board members used the money on trips to Las Vegas, a home renovation, cellphones, smart watches, Christmas decor, a truck, for-profit business ventures and more.
