SPECIAL AGENT, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

State of California; California; On-site; USD 83,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

State of California’s Department of Justice, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, is hiring a Special Agent in the West Covina area to investigate fraud against Medi-Cal and related abuse cases. The role involves undercover work, evidence gathering, and coordination with prosecutors with state-wide travel as needed.

Position includes extensive court testimony and possible arrests, with a daytime work shift in an in-office environment.

Qualifications

• Candidates must have a current California POST Basic or Specialized Certificate or equivalent in order to be considered.
• Most competitive applicants will possess a POST Basic Certificate or POST SIBC Certificate.

Responsibilities

• Conduct criminal investigations involving allegations of fraud perpetrated against the Medi-Cal program.
• Conduct undercover operations and prepare written investigative reports.
• Prepare and serve search warrants; gather evidence including computer hardware and data.
• Coordinate investigations with other law enforcement agencies; work closely with prosecutors.
• Testify in court and make arrests as a result of investigations.

Education

California POST Basic or Specialized Certificate

Job description

Job Posting: Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Special Agent

Department of Justice

JC-531826 -

JC-531826 - Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Special Agent
SPECIAL AGENT, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

$7,454.00 - $12,834.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 10/29/2026

Application Methods: Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account) By Mail Drop-off

Under the direction of a Special Agent Supervisor, the Special Agent will conduct criminal investigations involving allegations of fraud perpetrated against the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal) by providers of medical and related services; patient abuse and neglect which occur in Medicaid certified facilities; and the diversion of pharmaceutical drugs by Medi-Cal providers. Specifically, the incumbent will: conduct criminal investigations; conduct undercover operations; prepare written investigative reports; prepare and serve search warrants; gather evidence including computer hardware and data; use and maintain investigative and protective equipment; use and maintain computer hardware and software for data analysis and case preparation; coordinate investigations with other law enforcement agencies; work closely with prosecutors in preparing cases for court; testify in court and make arrests as a result of investigations; and perform other duties as required.
In accordance with Penal Code Section 13651, duties shall be conducted with an emphasis on community interaction and collaborative problem solving.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

Travel may be required locally and within the state for investigations, meetings, and training. The working conditions as set forth in the \"Essential Duties of Peace Officer Classifications\" are incorporated herein. See attachment.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• SPECIAL AGENT, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Special Agent
Classification:

SPECIAL AGENT, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE $7,454.00 - $10,351.00A $8,592.00 - $12,834.00B New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions: 3

Work Location: West Covina Office

Telework: In Office

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time

Work Shift: Day

Work Week: Monday-Friday

Department Information

• These positions are located in the Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, Investigations Section, West Covina Office.


• Individuals who are new to State service must have list eligibility in order to gain employment with the Office of the Attorney General. To access the Special Agent Examination and obtain list eligibility, please click HERE Additional exams and information can be found at: http://oag.ca.gov/careers/exams


• Please disregard the SROA/Surplus language below, as the Department of Justice requires applicants to submit their SROA/Surplus Letter if that is the basis of their eligibility.

Please note that the SA classification contains multiple salary ranges. New-to-State employees will be given the minimum salary Range A, unless you meet Alternate Range Criteria 175for range B listed below. For current state employees and/or those with reinstatement rights, your salary will be determined in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

Range B. This range shall apply to individuals who have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of 24 months of experience in Range A of the same class and may apply to persons who have the equivalent of 24 months of satisfactory experience performing *peace officer duties of the class beyond the experience required to meet the minimum qualifications of the class.

• Agents with an associate degree or intermediate POST certificate will receive a 2.5% salary differential of the base pay.


• Agents with a Bachelor's degree or advanced POST Certificate will receive a 5% salary differential.


• For more information about the department, please visit the Attorney General’s website at https://oag.ca.gov/.

Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary wage reductions in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. The specific rate and hours earned were negotiated and agreed upon by each bargaining unit. The actual monetary impact of these temporary reductions can vary based on your bargaining unit and/or federal and state tax withholdings. For additional information please visit Human Resources Manual - CalHR

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.


• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.


• The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.


• The position(s) require(s) Psychological Evaluation clearance prior to being hired.

Candidates must have a current California POST Basic or Specialized Certificate or equivalent in order to be considered.

Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications must have list, reinstatement or lateral transfer eligibility.

• List eligibility: Candidates who are not current state peace officers with lateral transfer eligibility and who do not have reinstatement rights to the Special Agent classification must obtain list eligibility prior to appointment. This will apply to most local and out-of-state peace officers. If you need to take the exam, please see the “Exam Information” section below.


• Reinstatement: Former Department of Justice Special Agents may have permissive or mandatory reinstatement rights to the classification.


• Lateral transfer: Candidates who are currently employed by the State of California may be eligible to laterally transfer to the Special Agent classification. Transfer eligibility depends upon the applicant’s current classification.

Exam Information
In order to apply for a Special Agent position with the Department of Justice, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, interested individuals with no prior state service must first take the Special Agent Exam.
More information regarding the Special Agent Exam can be found HERE .

Out-of-State Candidates
Out-of-state peace officers who are interested in the Special Agent classification, including federal peace officers, will have to obtain a valid California POST Basic Certificate or a Basic Course Waiver. ... Candidates who are in the process of obtaining a Basic Course Waiver may take the Special Agent Exam and apply for vacant positions before the waiver is granted, but no job offers will be extended until a valid California POST Basic Course Waiver or Basic Certificate is obtained.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
Experience conducting complex fraud, tax or health/quality of care investigations, violent crimes against persons, investigations of crime scenes, insurance fraud and drug interdiction. Applicants should have excellent writing skills; experience in preparing and serving search warrants; knowledge of the California Penal Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, Health and Safety Code, and Insurance Code. Must be able to exercise good judgment, be willing to work odd and unusual hours and travel throughout the State of California. The most competitive applicants will possess a POST Basic Certificate or POST SIBC Certificate.

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
EEO Officer
[phone]
[e-mail]

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.