A Chattanooga man, Karl Hampton, has been sentenced to five years in prison for defrauding an elderly widow with dementia of more than $1.2 million. According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Hampton's conviction followed a jury trial that concluded in April 2023, resulting in his sentence which also includes three years of supervised release and an order to pay restitution in the full amount he stole.
The case revealed that Hampton, 65, took advantage of his access to the victim, whom he met while working as an exterminator. Between January 2018 and February 2020, he manipulated the woman into believing he would care for her personally and financially, at times fraudulently claiming to be her personal representative and even kin. In addition to convincing her to sign over her Power of Attorney, Hampton was also named in her Revocable Living Trust and will, before proceeding to systematically siphon her financial resources.
Funds were diverted from investment accounts that belonged to the estate of the widow's late sister, which were meant to be shared with another individual but were instead transferred to Hampton himself. Amongst the extravagant purchases made with the stolen money were luxury vehicles and a 4.3-karat diamond ring costing more than $21,000. Hampton was also found to have a penchant for gambling, often squandering over $1,000 a day on lottery tickets.
Karl Hampton's wife, Deborah Hampton, was implicated in the case for her involvement in the laundering of stolen funds. According to the same press release, she pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and was sentenced to time served, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the sum of $21,000. The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Memphis Field Office and Nashville Resident Agency, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Booth leading the prosecution.
