A Waterbury man is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olajuwon “OJ” Harrington, 30, was charged Wednesday with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Court records allege that Harrington submitted multiple fake applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance using the names of people he knew without their knowledge, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

The Connecticut Department of Labor awarded unemployment benefits to Harrington’s fraudulent applicants and mailed out debit cards to the addresses he provided. Harrington got the debit cards from the people he had sent applications in for and used them for his own expenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

The unemployment funds were part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that was signed into law in March 2020 to create a new temporary federal unemployment insurance program.

The charge of access device fraud carries a maximum term of 15 years in prison if convicted and the aggravated identity theft charge carries a maximum sentence of two years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Harrington appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven on Wednesday. He was released on a $50,000 bond.

His case is being investigated by the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Connecticut Department of Labor.