Wondering what former Patriots wide receiver Kembrell Thompkins is up to? It's not good.
Thompkins is being prosecuted for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft by the United State’s Attorney’s Office.
The former Patriots wide out allegedly defrauded the State of California out of $300,000 in unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic and apparently stole identities of Florida residents to receive debit cards as part of the CARES act.
The fraud charge could have him in prison for up to 10 years.
Here's the official release from the United State’s Attorney’s Office.
“Kenbrell Armod Thompkins, 32, of Miami, Florida, a former National Football League (NFL) player, was charged by federal indictment with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. It is alleged in court documents that Thompkins used the stolen identities of numerous Florida residents to obtain fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits from the State of California. California distributed these unemployment benefit funds in the form of debit cards, which were subsequently mailed to addresses associated with Thompkins in Miami and Aventura, Florida.
“Court documents allege that from August 16 through September 23, 2020, Thompkins used these debit cards to withdraw funds at various ATMs in Miami-Dade County. The alleged scheme involves approximately $300,000 in California unemployment insurance funds credited to the fraudulent debit cards associated with Thompkins, out of which approximately $230,000 of the funds were withdrawn. U.S. Secret Service, DOL-OIG, and City of Aventura Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr., is prosecuting it.”
Thompkins has been out of the NFL since 2016. He spent 2013 and some of 2014 with the Patriots.