Miami: A former NFL wide receiver and South Florida native has pleaded guilty to identity theft to fraudulently receive unemployment insurance benefits related to coronavirus in California.
Canbrel Armod Thompkins, 33, pleaded guilty in Miami federal court on Monday to one count of unauthorized access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to court records. He faces up to 12 years in prison on his scheduled January 6 sentence.
According to a plea agreement, Thompkins used the stolen identities of several Florida residents to obtain bogus unemployment insurance benefits from the state of California. Prosecutors said California distributed these unemployment benefit funds in the form of debit cards, which were sent to addresses linked to Thompkins in Miami and nearby Aventura.
Prosecutors said that in August and September 2020, Thompkins used these debit cards to withdraw funds from various ATMs in Miami-Dade County. He said the plan included about $300,000 in the California Unemployment Insurance Fund, of which about $230,000 was withdrawn.
Thompkins was signed as a draft free agent by the New England Patriots in 2013 and has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets.
Congress passed the Covid Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act last year to help individuals and businesses financially survive the COVID-19 pandemic, including provision of federal funding for state unemployment insurance benefits programs.
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