Hichem Mohamed El Mabrouk Arrested During Los Angeles Fraud Operation
LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities announced the arrest of Hichem Mohamed El Mabrouk, 35, of France, as part of a Los Angeles-area law enforcement operation targeting alleged fraudulent withdrawals from California EBT benefit accounts. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, El Mabrouk was charged with one count of use of unauthorized access devices after allegedly being found in possession of 37 re-encoded California EBT cards at the time of his arrest.
The arrest was part of a broader operation in which five men were accused of using counterfeit or re-encoded EBT cards to withdraw public-assistance funds meant for low-income families. Prosecutors said the fraud targeted programs including CalWORKs and CalFresh, which provide essential cash and food assistance to California residents.
Authorities Say California EBT Fraud Has Cost Victims Millions
Federal prosecutors stated that California officials detected more than $126.8 million stolen from victim EBT cards in 2024. According to court documents cited by the Department of Justice, this type of fraud commonly involves “cloned” cards, meaning debit cards, gift cards, or similar magnetic-strip cards that have been illegally encoded with information from legitimate EBT cards.
In El Mabrouk’s case, federal authorities later reported that he withdrew $25,480 on February 1, 2025, and an additional $2,420 on February 2, 2025, from EBT accounts using illegally encoded cards. The Department of Justice also reported that El Mabrouk and a co-conspirator jointly possessed at least 32 fraudulently encoded EBT cards.
El Mabrouk Ordered Held Without Bond
At a hearing in early February 2025, El Mabrouk was ordered held without bond and was scheduled to be arraigned on March 11, 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Because this was a federal criminal case, the bail process is different from a standard Los Angeles County criminal case. In many state cases, a defendant may have a set bail amount that can be posted through a licensed bail bond company. In federal cases, however, release is handled through federal detention hearings, and a judge may order a defendant detained without bond.
El Mabrouk Arrested again in Los Angeles 5/4/2026
Please note: The following information is available to the public, all arrestees are innocent until proven guilty.
On 5/4/2026 El Mabrouk was arrested in the city of Los Angeles for an alleged domestic violence incident. El Mabrouk was booked into the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center pending his arraignment on Wednesday 5/6/2026. El Mabrouk’s current bail is $50,000 dollars for 273.5 PC Domestic Violence.
Law Enforcement Agencies Involved
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, with assistance from multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, United States Secret Service, California Department of Social Services, and other law enforcement partners.
Los Angeles Bail Bonds and Federal Arrest Questions
For families dealing with an arrest in Los Angeles, it is important to know whether the case is filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court or in federal court. A state arrest may involve a bail schedule, bond amount, booking process, and jail release procedure. A federal arrest may require a detention hearing, bond hearing, or court-approved release conditions.
All American Bail Bonds helps families understand the bail process after an arrest in Los Angeles, including how bail bonds work, what happens after booking, and what options may be available depending on the court, charge, and custody status. When a loved one is arrested, acting quickly can make a major difference in understanding the next steps.
