BALTIMORE, MD—A Florida man is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing the identities of several victims and filing fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment insurance claims in Maryland and California.

David Godin, also known as James St. Patrick, David Wetty, and Vic Pro, was arrested by law enforcement in Florida and had his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in Miami on Monday.

According to the indictment, Godin used disposable email addresses to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the Maryland and California Employment Development Departments beginning in 2020.

The claims contained the personal information of victims located in Maryland, California, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C.

If convicted, Godin could face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He would also forfeit any property that he obtained as a result of the alleged fraud.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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