No Halo News · Sourced development
Federal indictment alleged an SSG employee took bribes for homeless-program referrals
Federal prosecutors charged Special Service for Groups employee Lakiya Malone in a 21-count indictment alleging she accepted more than $180,000 in bribes and kickbacks from the head of Abundant Blessings. Prosecutors alleged that Malone supplied priority referrals, including purported ghost participants, and helped fabricate supporting records. The indictment concerns an employee’s alleged conduct; SSG itself was not identified as a criminal defendant. Malone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
SSG administers substantial publicly funded health, housing and human-service programs. The alleged referral and documentation failures concern controls over participant eligibility and payments to outside housing providers.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
The allegations were made by federal prosecutors in an indictment. SSG’s response was reported by CalMatters/LAist.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not established that Malone committed the alleged offenses, how many participant files were false, the extent of any organizational control failures, or whether other SSG personnel knew of the alleged scheme.
Right of reply
Organization response
SSG said it was working with federal prosecutors to ensure responsible individuals were held accountable and that it had strengthened its protocols and compliance.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Indictment. Current state: Open. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published September 17, 2026 · Last verified September 20, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.