LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In January, Star Jackson pleaded guilty to wire fraud after stealing over $1,000,000 from the non-profit organization American Indian Center of Arkansas. She was sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release with additional conditions on Wednesday afternoon.
From the span of early 2023 to April 2025, Jackson stole $1,788,859.99 from the AICA. Some of the purchases Jackson made using stolen funds included a $55,000 down payment on a new truck, a $44,000 boat, a year’s worth of rent paid in advance, as well as shopping and food expenses. Some of the stolen money was unaccounted for.
Former executive director at central Arkansas nonprofit pleads guilty to wire fraud, documents show $1 million in unauthorized deposits
In the courtroom, Jackson gave a tearful apology, saying she didn’t know why she did what she did. Jackson claimed that much of the stolen funds went towards vehicle payments for her family members. She said that anytime somebody asked her for financial help, she gave it to them and feels as if she has a “savior complex”. Jackson claimed that none of the people who she gave money to knew that she was getting it from the AICA.
The AICA suffered major losses due to the theft. Throughout the span of Jackson stealing funds, 18 employees were fired, while others reported missing paychecks, 401k contributions, and did not receive health care benefits…