Thomas Addaquay, an Atlanta resident, has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison after being convicted of 30 felonies tied to two major fraud schemes. These schemes, which stretched across the country, involved stealing tax refunds, tricking businesses through email scams, and using fake relationships to take money from unsuspecting people. Addaquay’s crimes caused millions of dollars in losses and hurt many people emotionally and financially.
The IRS Criminal Investigation team, the United States Secret Service, and local law enforcement in Georgia conducted the investigation into the crimes. After a thorough investigation and trial, Addaquay was ordered to pay back more than $7 million to his victims.
Tax Refund Fraud That Cost Millions
One of Addaquay’s main crimes was stealing people’s identities and using them to file fake tax returns. From 2011 to 2016, he gained access to personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, and birth dates. He used this stolen information to create fake federal tax returns and claim refunds that did not belong to him.
This type of crime is called a “stolen identity tax refund scheme.” Because of Addaquay’s actions, the IRS issued thousands of fraudulent tax refund checks, causing more than $4 million in losses. This money was meant to go to honest taxpayers, but instead, it ended up in Addaquay’s hands.
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Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. said, “Addaquay’s fraudulent schemes affected many victims nationwide, leading to millions of dollars in losses for both the IRS and private citizens.” Law enforcement put in significant effort to ensure Addaquay faced justice and was held responsible for the harm he caused to taxpayers.
Scamming Victims Through Emails and Fake Relationships
In addition to stealing tax refunds, Addaquay also scammed people through something called “business email compromise” and “romance scams.” These crimes involved tricking people into sending him money by pretending to be someone else.
For the business email scams, he used fake or hacked email accounts to send messages that looked legitimate. For example, he would pretend to be someone from a business or organization and convince victims to send money to his bank accounts.
In the romance scams, he created fake identities and gained the trust of his victims by pretending to have romantic feelings for them. Once the victims trusted him, he would find ways to take their money.
These scams caused over $3 million in losses to people all over the country. Many of the victims were left heartbroken and financially devastated by his actions.
Frederick D. Houston, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Atlanta Field Office, said, “Scammers like Addaquay enrich themselves by preying on innocent people with no care for the lasting damage they cause.”
Justice Served After Years of Fraud
Thomas Addaquay, 50, from Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 150 months in prison, equivalent to 12 years and six months. Following his release, he will serve three years on supervised probation. He has also been ordered to pay more than $7 million in restitution to his victims.
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The investigation into Addaquay’s crimes was a team effort. The IRS Criminal Investigation division and the United States Secret Service played key roles in uncovering the fraud. The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office also provided assistance during the investigation.
Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office, stated, “Addaquay’s criminal actions caused emotional and financial harm to many innocent victims. The IRS Criminal Investigation is dedicated to holding accountable those who exploit others through fraudulent financial schemes.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sekret T. Sneed and Angela Adams, who worked diligently to ensure that Addaquay faced the consequences of his actions.
Addaquay’s crimes affected not only the government but also private citizens who trusted him or were unknowingly targeted by his scams. This sentencing brings justice to the victims who suffered losses and disruption because of Addaquay’s greed.
