01/08/2026
Orange County Superior Court Judge Israel Claustro has resigned from the bench after agreeing to plead guilty yesterday to workers compensation fraud in connection with his previous role as operator of a Rancho Cucamonga-based medical office.
Federal prosecutors said Claustro, then an Orange County prosecutor, paid Dr. Kevin Thien Do more than $300,000 to perform work at Claustro’s office, Liberty Medical Group Inc., even though he knew Do was barred from participating in California’s workers compensation system because of a 2003 conviction for felony health care fraud. The state paid Liberty Medical Group more than $3 million between 2019 and 2022, even as Claustro was working full time as a deputy district attorney, according to the plea documents. https://loom.ly/6_MPw0E
Superior Court Judge Israel Claustro deeply regrets his role in operating a workers compensation medical office while working as an Orange County prosecutor, his attorney said.
