Maryland State Wire

A Miami resident, David Godin, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his involvement in a $2.3 million COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox also imposed three years of supervised release following the prison term and ordered Godin to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $1,087,345.66 along with restitution amounting to $1,137,894.56.

The sentencing was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C.

Godin pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to defrauding the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). From June 2020 through November 2023, he used personal identifiable information obtained through identity theft along with anonymous email addresses and virtual private networks to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims across multiple states.

According to court documents, Godin submitted at least 140 fraudulent claims resulting in over $2.3 million in benefits being disbursed fraudulently by state workforce agencies including MD-DOL and CA-EDD. The United States noted that Godin used the illicitly gained funds for luxury purchases such as expensive watches and sports cars.

This case is part of an effort by the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force—one among five nationwide established by the U.S. Department of Justice—to tackle pandemic-related frauds linked with programs like the CARES Act intended for economic relief during COVID-19.

U.S Attorney Hayes praised both DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their roles in investigating this case while acknowledging Assistant U.S Attorneys Bijon A Mostoufi and Jared Murphy who prosecuted it alongside Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N Huber's support.

Further details on how to report similar frauds or learn about measures against pandemic-related crimes can be found at justice.gov/coronavirus or by contacting relevant hotlines provided by authorities.