A South Berwick resident, Cori Godin, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of government money.
Court documents show that Godin, 46, claimed she was unemployed to receive unemployment insurance benefits. These included federally funded benefits meant to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment insurance is a program supported by both state and federal governments and is designed to assist eligible workers who are out of work through no fault of their own. In response to the pandemic starting around March 2020, federal programs increased eligibility and benefits for unemployment insurance.
For about 13 months during 2020 and 2021, Godin falsely reported being unemployed and received approximately $37,105 in benefits.
Godin could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine as high as $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing will take place after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigative report. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.
