HOUSTON – A Houston woman is behind bars, accused of stealing more than $1 million from a former New Orleans Saints player.
Tonya Lynn Adkism, 44, is charged with 16 counts of mail, bank and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
According to the indictment, Robert Meachem hired Adkism in June 2010 to manage his finances while he was playing for the Saints.
While working for Meachem, investigators say Adkism fraudulently acquired signatory authority over his corporate accounts and forged his signature on checks drawn on his personal accounts. The checks added up to more than $1 million.
The FBI conducted the investigation and the feds arrested Adkism Wednesday morning.
If convicted, Adkism faces up to 30 years in prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine for each of the eight counts of bank fraud. She could get up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud and each of the two counts of wire fraud. She also faces two years in prison for each of the five counts of aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to the other sentences.
Meachem blamed Adkism in 2016 when he was accused of failing to pay child support in alimony. He testified he hadn’t worked since leaving the Saints in 2016 and was forced to borrow money from friends to pay his bills, according to the New Orleans Advocate.
Meachem played college ball at Tennessee before the Saints drafted him in 2007. He was on the Saints 2009 team that won the Super Bowl.
