SAVANNAH, GA – A 52-year-old Savannah woman is headed to federal prison after admitting her role in a brazen scheme that pilfered nearly $3 million from hardworking Americans’ retirement funds. Karen Dickerson was sentenced to 51 months behind bars after pleading guilty to Structuring to Evade Currency Transaction Reports, a charge stemming from her deliberate efforts to conceal the flow of stolen money.
According to court documents, Dickerson acted as a crucial link in a criminal network that illegally accessed victims’ retirement accounts. Once the funds were transferred—totaling close to $3 million—they landed in a web of bank accounts, including one directly controlled by Dickerson. From June to November 2018, she systematically withdrew $213,745 in 22 separate transactions, meticulously keeping each withdrawal under the $10,000 reporting threshold to avoid raising red flags with federal authorities.
The scheme wasn’t about altruism. Dickerson didn’t just facilitate the laundering; she profited from it. After handing over a predetermined amount of the stolen cash to her co-conspirators, she pocketed the remainder as her cut. In addition to the prison sentence, Dickerson has forfeited ownership of five bank accounts holding $195,815.73 and is ordered to pay $644,915.15 in restitution to the victims whose lives she upended.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, David H. Estes, didn’t mince words in condemning Dickerson’s actions. “Karen Dickerson’s decades-long criminal record makes it abundantly clear that she is an unrepentant thief with zero regard for her victims,” he stated. “She sank to a new low with these crimes, and hopefully this sentence will give her ample time to reflect on her behavior while protecting the community from her greed.”
The U.S. Secret Service, leading the investigation, emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable populations from such predatory schemes. “People work hard and save for retirement to enjoy later on in life,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Baisel of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Criminals like Karen Dickerson, who help those who prey on these victims, will be caught and brought to justice.”
While Dickerson is now facing the consequences of her actions, the investigation remains ongoing, suggesting that others involved in the scheme may soon face their own day in court. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Lee and John P. Harper III, with coordination from Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier Cunningham, Section Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit. There is no parole in the federal system, meaning Dickerson will serve the entirety of her 51-month sentence before being eligible for supervised release.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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