David Godin, a 34-year-old from Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was involved in a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD) of over $2.3 million in unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guilty plea 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 and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.
According to court documents, between June 2020 and November 2023, Godin orchestrated a sophisticated fraud scheme using stolen personal information, anonymous email addresses, virtual private networks, and proxy servers. This allowed him to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims across multiple states while evading detection by state insurance programs.
Godin submitted at least 140 fraudulent claims resulting in approximately $2,364,226 in benefits being issued. Through this scheme, he obtained $1,087,345.66. As part of his plea agreement, Godin is required to pay restitution equal to the amount he obtained through fraud and forfeit assets acquired through these activities.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and an additional mandatory minimum sentence of two years for identity theft-related offenses. Sentencing will be determined by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox on June 30.
This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating large-scale pandemic relief frauds nationwide.
U.S. Attorney Hayes acknowledged the investigative efforts of DOL-OIG and IRS-CI and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim for prosecuting the case with support from Joanna N. Huber.
For further details about reporting fraud or more information about related resources available through the Maryland U.S Attorney’s Office, visit their official website.
