LA County Charity Director Stole Millions Of Dollars To Fund Lavish Lifestyle: Feds

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Westwood man accused of misappropriating millions of dollars in homelessness funds meant for his South Los Angeles-based charity was arrested Friday, federal prosecutors announced.

Alexander Soofer, 42, was charged with wire fraud, the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.

Soofer is accused of “fraudulently obtaining $23 million in public money intended to combat homelessness and pocketing at least $10 million of it, including using it for a $7 million house in Westwood, $125,000 Range Rover, private school tuition for his children, private jet travel, and stays at luxury resorts,” according to federal prosecutors.

“Alexander Soofer is alleged to have stolen millions of dollars designated to combat homelessness in Los Angeles,” Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office, said in a written statement. “These funds were intended to support the city’s most vulnerable residents. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to pursuing those who exploit public programs for personal gain."

Soofer, executive director of the Hyde Park-based Abundant Blessings, entered multiple contracts with the "Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to provide housing for people who were homeless or were at risk of becoming homeless,” prosecutors said.

Between 2018 and 2025, Soofer’s charity was given more than $23 million in homeless housing funding, according to federal prosecutors.

“Of that, more than $5 million came directly from LAHSA and more than $17 million came through a downtown Los Angeles-based non-profit called Special Service for Groups Inc.,” prosecutors said.

Soofer had multiple contracts with LAHSA, which were meant to provide housing and services to more than 600 homeless program participants at multiple sites across South Los Angeles, prosecutors said.

Per the contacts, Soofer had agreed to house participants at various sites, prosecutors said, adding that in other contracts, he also agreed to pay third parties, such as hotels or motels, to provide such housing.

Soofer also agreed to provide participants with three meals a day, prosecutors said.

“But Soofer lied to LAHSA about how he was using the taxpayer money his charity received, falsely stating he used it exclusively to combat the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, when he was misappropriating millions of dollars for himself,” prosecutors said. “He also lied about payments supposedly being made to third-party vendors for homeless housing services and took steps to conceal that he was diverting the money to his personal bank accounts.”

Soofer also made it look as if he was leasing properties for homeless housing, when he was really paying himself above market rate, prosecutors said.

To cover his “fraud,” prosecutors said Soofer created fake and misleading invoices, “at times stealing the names, addresses, and logos of real companies – to make it appear that the vendor and rent payments were legitimate.”

“When a LAHSA investigator asked Soofer if his charity’s board knew how he was spending money, he said they did, but the investigator later learned that the board was fake – some of the people did not exist, and others had never heard of Abundant Blessings or Soofer,” according to prosecutors.

Soofer did not either appropriately shelter or feed participants at his sites, prosecutors said.

“After receiving hotline complaints and noticing discrepancies in Soofer’s billing and services, city and county investigators conducted site visits and found the only food items being served at these sites were things such as Ramen noodles, canned beans, and breakfast bars – which was in contrast to the three-meal-a-day commitment Soofer had made and for which the City of Los Angeles had paid,” according to prosecutors.

Instead of using the funds toward his charity, “Soofer pocketed at least $10 million,” prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors. $7 million went toward a downpayment on a Westwood home; "private schooling for his children; lavish spending in Las Vegas, private jet travel; and stays at luxury resorts across the United States – from Hawaii to Florida."

Soofer is also accused of spending $475,000 to buy a vacation property in Greece, prosecutors said.

“Soofer allegedly prioritized his own greed over decency and respect for the laws of our country,” Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said in a written statement. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain dedicated to investigating and holding accountable those, like Soofer, who we contend flagrantly disregarded our laws by seeking to enrich himself at the public’s expense.”

Soofer is expected to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the United States District Court in Santa Ana, according to prosecutors.

If Soofer is convicted as charged, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.