Long Beach food bank closes amid investigation into misuse of public funds

The Foodbank of Southern California — a grocery-and-meal distribution hub serving hundreds of food pantries in Long Beach and South Los Angeles — has closed its doors amid a state investigation into a possible multimillion-dollar fraud and embezzlement scheme, according to state officials and a nonprofit executive. Brian Weaver, the food bank’s chief executive, said he suspended operations and furloughed about two dozen employees after losing funding after state police and investigators conducted a search at the Long Beach-based organization Sept. 26. In addition to removing documents and records, Weaver said, state officials took pallets of food stored in a warehouse, transporting them to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Not long after he took over Cooper’s position, Weaver said he came across $5,000 weekly payments to a vendor who apparently supplied the food bank with cold storage space. Although the food bank’s future remains murky, Weaver said he hopes that the state will allow him to continue to run the organization, and that people will forgive the nonprofit for violating the public’s trust.