Super Bowl champion scammed out of £1.5m by his ex-wife's boyfriend
Former NFL star Earl Thomas III, a pillar of the Seattle Seahawks' legendary "Legion of Boom" defense, had his identity stolen by his ex-wife's boyfriend in a £1.5million scam.
That is according to investigators at Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana, who claim 38-year-old Kevin J. Thompson cashed Thomas' NFL checks and transferred ownership of luxury vehicles into his own name before selling them and pocketing the proceeds. New Orleans native Thompson, who is in a relationship with the three-time All-Pro safety's former wife Nina Thomas, was arrested in June.
He has been charged with identity theft, forgery, money laundering, credit card fraud, computer fraud and bank fraud, according to the sheriff's office spokesman Brandon Veal, via NOLA.com. Thompson is out on a £593,000 bail bond and his attorney, Jeffrey Smith, has declined to comment.
Thompson is accused of using a driver's licence with his photo but the former Seahawks star's personal information. He used this to create a phony bank account and transfer vehicle ownership into his name, including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV – the vehicle he drove to the bank where he was arrested. Police say they are still investigating how Thompson gained access to the vehicles.
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Upon his release from jail, Thompson tried to collect the vehicle from the sheriff's office, but he was driving a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette that had been reported stolen in Atlanta, Georgia, leading to him being arrested again.
Thomas and his ex-wife went their separate ways in 2020 after she was arrested following an accusation of holding a loaded pistol to his head. She had allegedly broken into a vacation home and found her then-husband in bed with another woman. The former couple's relationship has broken down since, with the seven-time Pro Bowler arrested in 2022 for violating a court protective order amid claims he sent threatening messages about her and their children.
Thompson is accused of using the fake license to open an account in Thomas' name at Jefferson Federal Credit Union in May 2022. He would move "at least £569,000" int the account, according to the Sherrif's Office, and he later withdrew cash from the credit union, including a £46,000 withdrawal earlier this year. Thompson is also accused of depositing Thomas' NFL checks into the fraudulent accounts he created, as well as stealing a "large amount of money" from his retirement account.
Earl Thomas was one of the best players of his generation, going to six Pro Bowls and earning three First-team All-Pro selections. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Thomas, 34, was selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Seahawks and he quickly established himself as one of the best players of his generation, racking up 30 interceptions, three All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl ring in 2014 by the time he retired in 2019.
However, while Thomas delivered greatness on the field, many reports claim he was difficult to work with in the locker room and one of the enduring images of his career was in 2018 during what proved to be his last game with the Seahawks. After holding out in the offseason as he pushed for a new contract renegotiation, Thomas eventually reported to the team on the eve of the season.
And in Week 4, he suffered a season-ending broken leg and was carted off, raising his middle finger to the Seahawks' bench, expressing his fury at head coach Pete Carroll and the front office for not extending his contract Thomas played one more year in the NFL, joining the Baltimore Ravens in March 2019. He had signed a four-year contract but he was cut at the end of his one and only season with the team.
The arrest of Thomas' ex-wife's boyfriend continues an eventful period since the end of his NFL career. In August last year, his home in Orange, Texas, burned down after being struck by lightning. No one was hurt in the blaze.
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