Volunteer Jessica Kulesza, a student at Delaware Technical Community College, packs an attendee's car with food at the Delaware Food Bank's drive-thru event at DelTech's Stanton campus, Friday, March 31, 2023. There was a high turnout at the event due to the expiration of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency SNAP benefits.
Los Angeles, California – The state of California has filed a sweeping lawsuit against the Foodbank of Southern California, accusing its leaders of misappropriating more than $11 million in public funds over the past decade to enrich themselves and their families.
The Long Beach-based nonprofit, which had operated for nearly 50 years as a key supplier of food to pantries across Long Beach and South Los Angeles, largely shut down in September 2024 after the California Department of Social Services halted all funding and California Highway Patrol agents raided the facility.
The lawsuit, filed March 25 and first reported by the Daily Journal, alleges that board members spent taxpayer money on personal luxuries including trips to Las Vegas, home renovations, electronics, a truck, and for-profit business ventures.
“For at least the last decade, the Foodbank’s officers, directors, and vendors worked together to divert millions of dollars of state and federal funds away from these most vulnerable communities, into their own pockets,” the complaint states.
Among those named in the lawsuit are ten current or former board members and two family members. Former board treasurer Giuseppe Briguglio and a relative, Abele Briguglio, allegedly diverted over $6.2 million to their own businesses for fake or useless services.
Former board member Dion Rambo is accused of receiving $279,749 for advertising services his company, Southwest Group, never delivered. Rambo denies the allegations, stating that most services were provided aside from a brochure awaiting revision.
Jeanne Cooper, the nonprofit’s former CEO, and her husband, Lamarr Ramsey, are accused of misusing more than $250,000 for personal expenses. Cooper has denied wrongdoing and claimed she alerted state officials to the financial misconduct prior to stepping down in March 2024.
Current CEO Brian Weaver, who took over last spring, also faces scrutiny. The lawsuit alleges he used state funds to purchase a Tesla and a $20,000 cashier’s check. Weaver insists both were legitimate business expenses, calling the lawsuit “appalling,” and stating he initiated the forensic audit that revealed the corruption.
Community activist “Sweet” Alice Harris is accused of funneling over $173,000 to her nonprofit, Parents of Watts, and of placing family members in paid roles at the food bank.
With operations suspended, the food bank’s closure has left a void in food aid for over 850,000 residents. “A lot of people are going hungry,” said Weaver. “A lot of people are suffering.”
