As “strange stories involving Earl Thomas” go, this won’t be No. 1. But it’s in the top three.
According to Michelle Hunter of the NOLA.com, a New Orleans man has been arrested for impersonating the former All-Pro safety, who played for the Seahawks and the Ravens in a 10-year career.
Kevin J. Thompson, 38, allegedly posed as Thomas in a $1.9 million identity theft scheme. Thompson, per the authorities, is dating Thomas’s ex-wife, Nina Thomas.
Thompson allegedly used a driver’s license with his photo and Earl Thomas’s information to “create a phony bank account and transfer vehicle titles.” Thompson allegedly stole money from Earl Thomas’s accounts and even cashed his NFL checks.
Thompson allegedly opened an account in Earl Thomas’s name at Jefferson Federal Credit Union in May 2022. Thompson then moved at least $700,000 from Earl Thomas’s accounts into the Jefferson Federal Credit Union account. Thompson withdrew cash from that account, including $50,000 in May 2023.
Thompson also allegedly transferred title in multiple vehicles owned by Earl Thomas to himself, before selling the cars and keeping the money.
It all fell apart when a Texas credit union where Earl Thomas had one or more accounts contacted Jefferson Federal Credit Union regarding suspicious activity. Jefferson Federal Credit Union then alerted law enforcement in June 2023 after concluding that someone other than Earl Thomas had opened the account in his name.
The very next day, Thompson was arrested at a Jefferson Federal Credit Union branch in New Orleans. Thompson was driving a Rolls Royce SUV that he had transferred out of Earl Thomas’s name.
And then, after Thompson was released, he tried to retrieve the Rolls Royce — while driving a Corvette that had been reported stolen in Altanta. So he was arrested again.
Thompson is currently free on $730,000 bond. He’s presumably not driving around in a car that actually belongs to Earl Thomas, or anyone else. Given the rest of the story, however, it wouldn’t be a shock if he was.