Identity fraud in Ardèche: a Var resident already under investigation returns to prison
A man from Var, suspected of posing as a regional adviser for PACA, has been held in custody since 20 August for identity fraud in Ardèche.
Another prison sentence for a Var resident with multiple legal cases
A man in his twenties, originally from Seyne-sur-Mer, has been in provisional detention since 20 August, suspected of committing identity fraud at a campsite in Ardèche. According to France Info, which cites the Toulon prosecutor's office, this detention followed the revocation of his judicial supervision: the individual had been banned from leaving the Var department.
The individual, known by the name Eddie Goujit, had previously made headlines for presenting himself as a regional adviser in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. He was also a candidate for mayor of Toulon in the previous municipal elections.
A fictitious identity to recruit at a campsite
In the new Ardèche case, Eddie Goujit was working as a seasonal activity organiser when he is suspected of using the name Alexandre De Bernard. He allegedly claimed to be recruiting on behalf of his grandfather, presented as the owner of campsites in Hyères. An activity organiser who signed an employment promise contacted one of the establishments in question and discovered that the job offer did not exist. Complaints were then filed.
According to a source close to the investigation cited by France Info, at least four other complaints were filed against him for fraud, use of forged documents and identity fraud. The Privas prosecutor's office, which has jurisdiction over offences committed in Ardèche, has not yet commented on the action to be taken on these complaints.
Serious suspicions regarding offences committed between 2023 and 2025
The Ardèche case takes place in an already heavily burdened judicial context. The judiciary suspects Eddie Goujit of serious offences committed against the PACA region between 2023 and 2025, for which the region itself filed several complaints. He is notably suspected of having handed a false cheque for 175,000 euros to an association whilst presenting himself as a former regional elected official.
Eddie Goujit disputes these accusations. Placed under investigation in this case, he had been placed under judicial supervision and spent three months in provisional detention before being released from prison in November 2024. It was precisely the violation of this judicial supervision — by leaving Var for Ardèche — that motivated his arrest on 18 August, followed by his placement in provisional detention two days later.
Investigation ongoing, no trial date set
The Toulon prosecutor's office told France Info that the judicial investigation concerning the offences allegedly committed by Eddie Goujit against the PACA region is "still ongoing". No trial date has been set at this stage.
Source: France Info