Baltimore, Maryland – In a brazen scheme that left a trail of financial devastation in its wake, 34-year-old Miami resident David Godin has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his role in a $2.3 million COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits fraud scheme.
Godin, who operated under various aliases including ‘James St Patrick,’ ‘David Wetty,’ and ‘Vic Pro,’ pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme, which targeted the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD).
According to the plea agreement, Godin used the personal identifiable information of identity theft victims, anonymous email addresses, virtual private networks, and proxy servers to file numerous fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with multiple states from a single location. He submitted and caused the submission of at least 140 fraudulent UI claims, resulting in more than $2.3 million in UI benefits.
Godin used the ill-gotten gains to live a life of luxury, purchasing expensive items and recording himself with the spoils of his crime. The United States Department of Justice estimates that he obtained well over $1 million through the fraud scheme.
As part of his sentence, Godin was also ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $1,087,345.66 and restitution of $1,137,894.56. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation for their work in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared Murphy, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber. The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Related Federal Cases
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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