San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that Maggie Pasigan, 49, and Daisy Avalos, 47, both of San Francisco, were charged for defrauding various public benefits providers of over $500,000. They were both arraigned on March 13, 2025, and each pleaded not guilty. Ms. Pasigan and Ms. Avalos are each charged with grand theft, welfare fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.
“I would like to thank the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the San Francisco Human Services Agency, and the San Francisco Housing Authority for their hard work and collaboration in this case with San Francisco Police and the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office to expose this fraud,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “My office will take action to ensure the integrity of our benefits systems and seek to hold those accountable who would defraud the system for their own personal gain.”
According to court records, in 2023 the San Francisco Human Services Agency began investigating Ms. Pasigan for fraud involving her receipt of public benefits. Specifically, that she had not disclosed that Ms. Avalos was her registered domestic partner, nor Ms. Avalos’ income as a City employee. Such income would have disqualified the household for public benefits, which are intended to assist only low-income families.
“The defendants’ fraudulent actions diverted over $375,000 in taxpayer funds from multiple federal programs, including HUD-assisted housing programs designed to provide safe and affordable housing for low-income families,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Robert Lawler, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (OIG), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG remains committed to collaborating with its prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue individuals who seek to exploit HUD-funded programs for personal gain.”
Additionally, investigators learned that Ms. Pasigan and Ms. Avalos were receiving over $30,000 per month in childcare subsidies from a nonprofit contractor stewarding public dollars to childcare and early education services for alleged child care they were providing. Through investigation it was learned that Ms. Pasigan and Ms. Avalos were not, in fact, providing childcare as they claimed. Over months of surveillance, there was no evidence of child drop-offs, pick-ups, or other signs of children even though the women claimed to be providing care for as many as 17 children during the same period.
This prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by several agencies including the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, San Francisco Human Services Agency, and San Francisco Housing Authority. The San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Sheriff’s Office also provided considerable and critical support to investigators throughout the two-year investigation.
The next court date for Ms. Pasigan and Ms. Avalos is April 22, 2025, to set a date for the preliminary hearing in this matter.
Although charges have been filed, this remains an active investigation. To make a report that someone may be receiving public benefits to which they are not entitled to, contact SFHSA’s Welfare Fraud Hotline at (415) 557-5771.