Shell game shellacking; one tequila, two tequila; cryptocurrency con; and other highlights of recent tax cases.
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Wilmington, Delaware: Wendell Smallwood Jr., 31, a former Philadelphia Eagles running back and Super Bowl champion, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Smallwood was ordered to repay the government $645,000. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 to orchestrating schemes that defrauded COVID-19 relief programs and the IRS.
Smallwood earned about $500,000 in NFL paychecks in 2020 and 2021 — after he began carrying out the fraud. His conviction marks a steep fall for the former athlete, who rose from Wilmington’s tough streets to making $3 million over six seasons with the NFL.
Scranton, Pennsylvania: William Freeman IV of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months in…
CLICK HERE to read the FULL Tax Fraud Blotter: Running backlash | Accounting Today article.
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud