A South Berwick resident, Cori Godin, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of government money.
Court records show that Godin, 46, falsely claimed to be unemployed in order to obtain unemployment insurance benefits. These included federally funded benefits created to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment insurance is a program run jointly by state and federal governments to provide temporary financial support for eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020, several federal programs expanded eligibility and increased benefits.
For about 13 months during 2020 and 2021, Godin made false claims of unemployment 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 after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.
