A Chattanooga, Tennessee, man is headed to jail for defrauding an aged widow of $1.2 million. Last week, Karl Hampton discovered he’ll be spending 60 months behind bars for tricking the 86-year-old girl. A press launch from the Middle District of Tennessee’s U.S. Attorney’s Office didn’t disclose the widow’s title however revealed that she has dementia.

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Tennessee Man Pretended To Be Widow’s Son & Rep

Hampton first met the widow whereas offering pest management providers as an exterminator in her Tennessee house. After that preliminary assembly, Karl satisfied the lady that he would look after her financially and personally, per the discharge.

Instead, between January 2018 and February 2020, he “drained the woman’s bank accounts.” Additionally, he took out a $500,000 line of credit score within the widow’s title and racked up massive costs on her bank cards for private bills. Those purchases included a automotive, a luxurious SUV, a 4.3-karat diamond ring valued at $21,000, and lottery ticket splurges that toppled $1,000 each day.

Furthermore, Hampton was convicted of stealing cash from two funding accounts belonging to the widow’s lifeless sister. The cash was meant to be break up between the widow and one other particular person, however Hampton transferred the funds to himself.

How did Karl Hampton execute his fraud scheme? The press launch states that the 65-year-old satisfied the lady to signal over her Power of Attorney to him and title him in her will and Revocable Living Trust in 2019. Furthermore, he offered himself as both the widow’s “son,” “godson,” or “personal representative” to her and others, claiming that he was performing on her behalf amid her dementia.

Karl Hampton’s Wife Was Part Of The Fraud Scheme

Karl’s spouse, Deborah Hampton, additionally profited from her husband scheming the widow. Prosecutors indicted the married couple in June 2021 on a number of conspiracy and cash laundering counts. Karl racked up eight extra counts of wire fraud.

In April 2023, after a week-long trial, a jury convicted Karl on all counts. In addition to 60 months in jail, he’ll face three years of supervision after his launch and should pay greater than $1.2 million in restitution.

Meanwhile, Deborah copped a plea months forward of her husband’s conviction for his crimes towards the widow. She pled responsible in February 2023 and acquired a sentence of time served and three years of supervised launch. Additionally, she should pay $21,000 in restitution, seemingly for that big diamond ring, although the press launch didn’t specify.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the FBI, Memphis Field Office, and the Nashville Resident Agency. Ultimately, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Booth prosecuted the husband and spouse.

It’s unclear whether or not the widow was knowledgeable of the fraud scheme or concerned within the courtroom proceedings, given her dementia.

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