The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced today that Kevin Thompson, 39, of New Orleans, and Nina Thomas, 34, of Austin, Texas, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
In addition, the department said Thompson also faces charges for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.
According to the indictment, in 2020, Thomas filed for divorce from her husband, identified as Victim 1, in Texas, the department confirmed.
Starting in 2021, Thomas and Thompson began a romantic relationship and allegedly defrauded Victim 1 by creating email accounts and bank accounts in his name, the department explained.
The pair then transferred money from Victim 1’s accounts into accounts they controlled, the department stated.
They allegedly withdrew large sums of cash, including up to $300,000 at a time, and used the stolen money to buy luxury items, such as a $28,796 Hermès Birkin handbag and a $52,890 Porsche Panamera, the department said.