Tennessee Man Accused of Defrauding Woman With Dementia by Posing as Her Son
On 5/13/21 at 12:09 PM EDT
Tennessee couple Karl and Deborah Hampton allegedly bilked an elderly widow out of $1.7 million by convincing the woman that Karl Hampton was a close relative, according to WKRN.
While Karl Hampton, 63, has been charged with both money laundering and wire fraud, Deborah Hampton, 59 has only been charged with money laundering. The two were arrested on Wednesday morning by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
A criminal complaint states that Karl Hampton met the widow in January 2016 when he was working as an exterminator and began to exploit her financially in January 2018 by persuading her that he was her son or godson, according to WSMV. The woman, who was then 85, was later diagnosed with dementia.
A Franklin couple has been charged with fraud and money laundering in what law enforcement officials said was a scheme to defraud an elderly woman with dementia of $1.7 million.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorneyâs Office of the Middle District of Tennessee, 63-year-old Karl Hampton and his wife, 59-year-old Deborah Hampton, were arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at their Franklin home and were scheduled to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Wednesday.
Karl Hampton has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering while Deborah Hampton is only charged with money laundering.
WBBJ TV
May 13, 2021
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) Federal authorities say a Tennessee exterminator who posed as the relative of an 85-year-old with dementia defrauded the widow out of nearly $1.7 million.
The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee said Wednesday that Karl Hampton and his wife have been charged with fraud and money laundering.
A criminal complaint alleges Hampton met the victim while he was working as an exterminator and convinced the woman, who was suffering from cognitive decline, that he was a relative taking care of her and her finances.
Prosecutors say Hampton and his wife took more than $1.2 million from the woman and “frequently purchased luxury items” with her money.
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A federal criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday in Nashville charged a Franklin, Tennessee, couple with an elaborate scheme to defraud an elderly widow of $1.7 million.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart for the Middle District of Tennessee, FBI agents on Wednesday morning arrested Karl Hampton, 63, and his wife, Deborah Hampton, 59, at their home.
Karl Hampton is charged with wire fraud and money laundering, and Deborah Hampton is charged with money laundering, prosecutors said.
The couple is slated to make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge Wednesday afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint, Karl Hampton met a widowed woman while he was working as an exterminator for a Belle Meade-based pest control company and provided services for her home from January 2016 through May 2019.