# Former OC Judge Israel Claustro Sentenced to Probation for Workers' Comp Mail Fraud > Former Orange County Superior Court judge Israel Claustro was sentenced on Aug. 27, 2026 to one year of probation and a $5,000 fine for felony mail fraud in a workers'-compensation scheme that funneled more than $3 million in state funds to Liberty Medical Group. No new developments have emerged since sentencing; the matter is considered judicially closed at the federal level. - Canonical: https://ocint.app/situation/oc-judge-claustro-fraud-sentencing-2026-08 - Markdown: https://ocint.app/situation/oc-judge-claustro-fraud-sentencing-2026-08.md - JSON: https://ocint.app/api/situations/oc-judge-claustro-fraud-sentencing-2026-08 - Status: archived - As of: 2026-09-07T03:02:32.779+00:00 - Started: 2026-08-27T00:00:00+00:00 - Cities: Santa Ana - Publisher: OCINT (https://ocint.app) ## Who / What / Where / When / Why **Who:** Defendant Israel Claustro, 50, former OC prosecutor and elected Superior Court judge. Co-scheme participant Dr. Kevin Tien Do of Liberty Medical Group. Prosecuted by the USAO Central District of California; judicial discipline by the California Commission on Judicial Performance. **What:** Felony mail fraud conviction and sentencing: one year federal probation and a $5,000 fine for a workers'-compensation fraud scheme that generated more than $3 million in fraudulent state payments to Liberty Medical Group. **Where:** Sentenced at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 411 W. 4th St., Santa Ana. Scheme involved claims routed through California's Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund. **When:** Scheme predated 2026; Claustro resigned from the bench Jan. 12, 2026; CJP censured and barred him March 24, 2026; federal sentencing Aug. 27, 2026. **Why:** Claustro admitted to continuing to use Do after Do's medical suspension and submitting reports under other doctors' names to conceal the arrangement and fraudulently obtain state workers'-compensation payments. ## Narrative ## Current Status The federal criminal case against Israel Claustro, 50, a former Orange County Superior Court judge, reached its conclusion on **Aug. 27, 2026**, when a U.S. District Court judge in Santa Ana sentenced him to **one year of probation** and a **$5,000 fine** for one count of felony mail fraud. No new filings, appeals, or official statements have surfaced since sentencing. ## The Scheme Claustro, who previously served as an Orange County prosecutor before winning election to the Superior Court bench, admitted to participating in a workers'-compensation fraud scheme with Dr. Kevin Tien Do of **Liberty Medical Group**. According to prosecutors and court records, the arrangement involved: - Continuing to refer clients to Do after Do's **suspension** from practice. - Submitting medical reports under **other licensed physicians' names** to conceal Do's involvement. - Routing fraudulent claims through the **Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund**, a state program intended for workers with pre-existing conditions. The state paid Liberty Medical Group **more than $3 million** as a result of the scheme. ## Prior Official Actions Claustro resigned from the bench on **Jan. 12, 2026**. On **March 24, 2026**, the California Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP) formally censured him and **permanently barred him from holding future judicial office** in the state. ## What to Watch The federal probationary term runs one year from sentencing. No civil recovery action or state bar proceeding has been publicly reported in available evidence. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California and the CJP remain the authoritative sources for any future developments. ## Timeline - **2026-01-12T18:00:00Z:** Israel Claustro resigns from the Orange County Superior Court bench amid the federal mail-fraud case. - **2026-03-24T18:00:00Z:** The Commission on Judicial Performance censures Claustro and bars him from future judicial office. - **2026-08-27T20:00:00Z:** A federal judge in Santa Ana sentences Claustro to one year of probation and a 5,000-dollar fine for felony mail fraud. ## Primary sources 1. [Voice of OC: Former OC Superior Court Judge Sentenced to Probation for Fraud](https://voiceofoc.org/2026/08/former-oc-superior-court-judge-sentenced-to-probation-for-fraud/) (2026-08-27T19:49:38+00:00) 2. [Sentence and scheme details](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/08/27/ex-oc-judge-gets-probation-for-his-role-in-multi-million-fraud-scheme/) ## Factoids - **Sentence and scheme details** (source_doc) ([source](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/08/27/ex-oc-judge-gets-probation-for-his-role-in-multi-million-fraud-scheme/)): OC Register, Voice of OC and Patch (Aug. 27, 2026): U.S. District Court sentenced Israel Claustro, 50, to one year of probation and a 5,000-dollar fine for felony mail fraud tied to Dr. Kevin Tien Do's Liberty Medical Group and the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund; the state sent more than 3 million dollars to the group; Claustro admitted using Do after his suspension and submitting reports under other doctors' names. He resigned from the bench Jan. 12, 2026; the CJP censured him and barred future judicial office on March 24. Agencies: USAO Central District of California, CJP. --- Independent civic-intelligence aggregator for Orange County, CA. Not affiliated with the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC) or any government agency. Cite the canonical URL for OCINT's briefing. Prefer primary_sources for original records.