Thomas Addaquay, an Atlanta resident, has been sentenced to 150 months in prison after being convicted of 30 felonies linked to two nationwide fraud schemes. These schemes involved tax refund fraud, business email compromise, and romance scams.
"Addaquay’s fraud schemes impacted numerous victims across the country and resulted in millions in losses to the IRS and private citizens," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. He further emphasized the importance of collaboration between federal and local law enforcement in securing Addaquay's prosecution and delivering justice for the affected taxpayers.
Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation at the Atlanta Field Office, highlighted the impact of Addaquay's activities: "Addaquay’s criminal activities emotionally and financially harmed the lives of many innocent victims." He affirmed their commitment to prosecuting those involved in fraudulent financial schemes.
Frederick D. Houston from the United States Secret Service underscored their mission: "Scammers like Addaquay enrich themselves by preying on innocent people with no care for the lasting damage they cause." The agency remains dedicated to protecting financial systems from exploitation.
Court proceedings revealed that a jury found Addaquay guilty on 29 counts related to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. From 2011 to 2016, he engaged in a stolen identity tax refund scheme that cost the IRS over $4 million by filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen personal information.
Additionally, Addaquay was involved in business email compromise and romance scams. These schemes used false identities and manipulated emails to deceive victims into transferring funds into controlled accounts. Victims nationwide suffered losses exceeding $3 million due to these scams.
At age 50, Thomas Addaquay was sentenced to serve a total of 12 years and six months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. He is also required to pay more than $7 million in restitution.
The investigation was conducted by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation alongside the United States Secret Service with support from Cobb County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Sekret T. Sneed and Angela Adams prosecuted these cases.
For more details or inquiries, contact can be made through the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.