The defendants allegedly filed unemployment claims while working for the county between 2020 and 2023, purporting to have earned less than $600 per week during each two-week claim period, even though they all earned more than that amount.
They're accused of stealing a combined total of $437,383.
Each defendant was charged with a felony count of grand theft, and a lesser-included misdemeanor offense, the DA's office said in a news release.
"It is shocking that these county employees, who are receiving their county check every single two weeks, are also telling EDD at the same time that they're unemployed and they receive no money," L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference.
Of those charged, five worked for the Department of Children and Family Services and one worked for the Sheriff's Department.
The amounts allegedly stolen by the defendants range from $9,300 to $57,900.
Investigators say one of the ways they found out about the theft was through information from whistleblowers.
"These investigations are conducted to support the integrity of county government, to ensure that there is accountability for misconduct," L.A. County assistant auditor controller Robert Campbell told reporters.
Officials have actually identified 172 incidents, but the problem they are facing is the statute of limitations that only allows them to go back up to four years.
Hochman says previous DA George Gascón knew about some of those cases but didn't move forward.
"The prior administration did not put a focus on white collar crime, did not put a focus on this type of fraud or public integrity-type issues," Hochman said. "I will."
City News Service contributed to this report.