Former NFL player Earl Thomas III has fallen victim to an elaborate identity theft scam. The alleged scam of the long-time Seattle Seahawks star totaled $1.9 million and involved multiple different ways of stealing Thomas’ identity.
A man from the New Orleans area has been arrested said Sgt. Brandon Veal, the spokesman for Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, on charges that include “identity theft, forgery, money laundering, credit card fraud, computer fraud, and bank fraud.”
The story was first broken by Nola.com and involves a very detailed and complex case with an intimate connection and the arrest of a 38-year-old man. The twist in the story is that the alleged offender is Kevin Thompson, the new partner of Earl Thomas’s ex-wife Nina Thomas.
What Scam Victimized Earl Thomas III?
Kevin Thompson is accused of using a fake driver’s license that included Thomas’ details to set up a fake bank account at a credit union in the New Orleans area.
Thompson used the fake ID to open a bank account in 2022 before transferring $700,000 from Thomas’ account into the fake one. The alleged culprit is also said to have deposited checks to Thomas from the NFL into the fake accounts. Thompson is also accused of taking money from Thomas’ retirement fund and making large cash withdrawals.
Thompson went on to use his fake identity to transfer titles of vehicles, funneling money into the fictitious bank account. In an even more complex fashion, Thompson is accused of transferring the ownership of Thomas’ cars and keeping the money to himself. The sheriff’s office has said that this is still being investigated, as reported by Nola.com
After the credit union reported the suspicious activity, local police arrested Thompson at that branch, where he was driving a Rolls Royce — a car that had previously belonged to Thomas.
In an even more audacious move, Thompson returned to the sheriff’s office after his release to try and reclaim the vehicle, only to be arrested again for turning up in a Chevrolet Corvette, which was previously stolen.
Thompson is currently out on bond at a sum of $730,000.
Who Is the Former NFL Safety?
Thomas was the 14th overall pick out of the University of Texas in the 2010 NFL Draft to the Seahawks and became an integral part of Seattle’s amazing run in the early 2010s. As a part of the Legion of Boom under Pete Carroll, the former safety was named a three-time First-Team All-Pro between 2012 and 2014 and made seven Pro Bowls.
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He also was named to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2010s and won Super Bowl XLVIII. After spending eight successful seasons with the Seahawks, Thomas signed a bumper four-year contract in 2019 with the Baltimore Ravens, totaling $55 million with $32 million guaranteed.
However, Thomas only lasted one season in Baltimore. After a disappointing season, Thomas was involved in an altercation with his teammate Chuck Clark, which led to the Ravens releasing Thomas.
Thomas was seen as a difficult character in the locker room which led to no other teams taking a chance on him after his release.
The former NFL safety was married to Nina Thomas, a model and social media influencer, from 2016 to 2020, when the pair broke up. In an incident that brought the spotlight onto their relationship, Nina held Earl at gunpoint after she claimed she thought he was cheating on her.
A video has since been released online by TMZ.com showing both Earl and his ex-wife brandishing weapons in a parking lot. While both were talked to by police, only Nina was arrested.
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