By Associated Press - Friday, December 11, 2020

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - A Southern California man has been charged with using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain state unemployment insurance benefits and then using the money to buy luxury items like a Maserati SUV, prosecutors said Friday.

Robert Sloan Mateer, 30, faces multiple felony counts including aggravated identity theft, possession of methamphetamine and weapons charges, ABC 7 reported.

Pasadena police officers arrested Mateer following an October traffic stop when they found 17 unemployment benefits debit cards, several other credit and debit cards, more than $197,000 in cash, along with meth and guns, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

It wasn’t immediately known if Mateer has an attorney.

According to the affidavit, Mateer admitted to obtaining the unemployment benefits debit cards by using “thousands” of identity profiles in his possession.

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