Today in “why the Federal government and the state of California should not be in the business of capital management” news…

The infamous Scott Peterson was among other death row inmates who were able to fraudulently receive Covid unemployment benefits administered by California, according to analysis released Tuesday. 

Prosecutors in California say they uncovered a “massive scam” that allowed more than $400,000 in California state benefits to be paid to inmates at San Quentin State Prison. This includes Peterson, who is famously in prison for the killing of his wife, Laci Peterson, and his unborn son. 

The Los Angeles Times was the first to report the fraud, which is being called by nine local DA’s “the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history.” 

But wait, it gets better. San Quentin’s $400,000 “error in judgement” was a small drop in the bucket compared to the $140 million that was sent to other inmates across California’s 38 prisons, according the NY Post. 

The funds were obtained by claims made either by inmates, or by family and friends. Some prisoners didn’t even know claims were being submitted on their behalf. It is also being reported that “prison gangs” may have organized large scale schemes to commit the fraud.

Prosecutors say that up to $1 billion may have been paid out to people ineligible for the benefits. 

“The murderers and rapists and human traffickers should not be getting this money. It needs to stop,” concluded Sacramento County DA Anne Marie Schubert.