An Atlanta podcaster who once branded himself with the slogan “F.R.A.U.D. is Dope” has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for steering a multimillion-dollar unemployment fraud scheme during the pandemic. 

According to CBS News, Jonathan Dupiton, 36, and his co-conspirators used stolen identities, encrypted VPNs, and false claims to siphon benefits from California’s unemployment system. 

The California program was tricked into sending about $3.8 million in benefits, and the group withdrew or spent more than $2 million of the funds. The program was meant to support workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

“During the pandemic, while citizens were struggling with job loss and trying to make ends meet, Dupiton stole unemployment benefits by submitting false applications using hundreds of stolen identities,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg in a statement.

Dupiton, whose podcast “F.R.A.U.D. is Dope” was an acronym for “Finally Rich After Unstoppable Determination,” pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The scheme began while he was already in a halfway house for a prior fraud conviction tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The operation mostly relied on the identities of hundreds of victims whose data was used unbeknownst to them.

Investigators said claims were filed in California, then debit cards were rerouted to addresses in north Georgia, including Dupiton’s, before the funds were withdrawn at ATMs across metro Atlanta. 

“Jonathan Dupiton orchestrated a brazen scheme to steal millions in unemployment benefits using the stolen identities of innocent victims, all while already serving a sentence for fraud,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, in a statement. “At a time when Americans were facing unprecedented financial hardship, he chose to exploit a critical safety net for personal gain."

A judge will later set the restitution amount Dupiton owes.