Former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah was sentenced Monday to a 10-year prison
term by a judge who said he was "astonished" that a veteran legislator
would steal government and charity funds to pay his son's debts and buy a
vacation home. (Dec. 12)
AP
Source:
Former Congressman sentenced to 10 years
Showing posts with label Jail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jail. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Court-appointed guardian accused of stealing appears in court
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| Click to Watch Video |
April Parks pleaded not guilty. She faces 212 felony counts of racketeering, theft and exploitation over a five-year period.
Some of her alleged victims say this day couldn't have come soon enough.
April Parks, along with her husband and another business partner, ran a private professional guardian LLC.
Guardians take care of wards of the court -- people who are found unable to no longer care for themselves.
A 270-count indictment from the Clark County District Attorney's Office says Parks and her company did everything but take care of the people.
"It had ruined our life," said Rudy North.
North, 80, says he lost everything after April Parks came to his door in 2013.
"Her and her partner called themselves the officer of the court," North said.
Confused, that's what North says he was, when Parks gave him three choices.
"My wife and I go to a psychiatric ward. Two, go to jail or three, to an assisted living facility."
He and his wife chose the third option.
It took their daughter, Julie Belshe, four frantic days to find out where her parents had disappeared to.
"She actually walked into my parents' home and took them out of their house and said she was an officer of the court and took them without notifying me," Belshe said.
During that time, Parks gained control of the couple's assets. It took Julie Belshe nearly two years to get her parents released from Parks' guardianship.
Parks pleaded "not guilty" to 232 felony charges of racketeering, theft, exploitation, perjury and fraud.
The 123-page indictment alleges she was the ringleader of a scam that bilked $550,000 from the Norths and 148 other victims.
In the indictment, Parks is only one on the hook for exploiting about $1,500 in fees for fraudulent services, but North says she stole a lot more.
"She took over a million dollars of my assets, that's cash, gold, silver, and in furnishings and artwork," North said.
Now, Parks is behind bars after fleeing to Pennsylvania last year.
It's a moment many victims thought they would never see.
"She's where she belongs," North said.
District Attorney Steve Wolfson says he will seek restitution for the victims. But, he cautions there is a low likelihood of regaining any significant portion of these families' assets. He says many, if not most, of the victims outlined in the complaint have died.
Full Article & Source:
Court-appointed guardian accused of stealing appears in court
Hearing reset for former court-appointed guardian in Vegas
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A court hearing was reset in Las Vegas for a
former court-appointed financial guardian accused of siphoning more than
$550,000 out of accounts of people assigned to her business as wards of
the court.
A court official said Monday that April Parks is due to have another lawyer when she appears again in court on Wednesday.
PREVIOUS STORY: Private guardian April Parks behind bars in Las Vegas
Parks is being held at the Clark County jail following her arrest in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on a massive 270-count criminal indictment filed March 8.
It alleges that more than 150 victims lost money to Parks, her employee Mark Simmons, and Parks' friend, Gary Neil Taylor, through overbilling by her business, called A Private Professional Guardian.
They're accused of racketeering, theft and exploitation of a vulnerable person.
A court official said Monday that April Parks is due to have another lawyer when she appears again in court on Wednesday.
PREVIOUS STORY: Private guardian April Parks behind bars in Las Vegas
Parks is being held at the Clark County jail following her arrest in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on a massive 270-count criminal indictment filed March 8.
It alleges that more than 150 victims lost money to Parks, her employee Mark Simmons, and Parks' friend, Gary Neil Taylor, through overbilling by her business, called A Private Professional Guardian.
They're accused of racketeering, theft and exploitation of a vulnerable person.
Full Article & Source:
Hearing reset for former court-appointed guardian in Vegas
Thursday, April 6, 2017
UPDATE: Private guardian April Parks behind bars in Las Vegas
UPDATE APRIL 5:
April Lynn Parks was a private, professional guardian appointed by
Clark County Family Court to protect hundreds of vulnerable people.
Parks admitted to Contact 13's Darcy Spears on camera in 2015 that she made major mistakes with her client's money, including in one case, charging an elderly woman $108 for a pair of stretch pants.
Parks was the ringleader of a small group employed by her. They've all been indicted for draining the accounts of those they were supposed to care for while isolating them from their families.
Parks faces more than 200 felony criminal charges for racketeering, theft, exploitation and perjury.
She was arrested in Pennsylvania on March 8, extradited to Las Vegas and booked into Clark County Detention Center Tuesday.
Contact 13's investigation helped lead the way for reform in the guardianship system and the criminal case against Parks.
That came just in time as we uncovered in court documents that Parks was about to expand her business and hire more staff. She'd gotten a contract with Valley Health System's six Las Vegas hospitals, which would make her the first choice to refer patients for guardianship services.
There's no telling how many of those potential referrals could have fallen victim to the alleged crimes Parks and her associates are charged with. Valley Health Systems declined to comment.
Contact 13 requested an on-camera interview with April Parks at the jail but haven't heard back. And we tried to reach her attorney but his voicemail was full.
UPDATE MARCH 27: Mark Simmons is now behind bars in Las Vegas. Simmons faces 134 felony criminal charges including racketeering, exploitation of the elderly and theft.
He was extradited from Indiana and booked into Clark County Detention Center this weekend. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on Wednesday.
UPDATE MARCH 14: Private for profit guardian April Parks is now behind bars. She and three others were indicted last week for running a criminal enterprise involving theft and exploitation.
Court records show Parks disregarded her duty as a guardian, treating the vulnerable as "cash cows."
In one example, Parks and her business partner Mark Simmons profited from a scam where they bought Christmas gifts for their wards, such as popcorn, socks and other small items. When the wards received the gifts, they were charged at a hourly rate of $100 per hour.
Clients were also billed when Parks' husband Gary Taylor drove to the courthouse and waited in line to file papers that could have been submitted online.
UPDATE MARCH 09: April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- What started with a Contact 13 investigation has led to hundreds of felony charges against four suspects for the way authorities say they treated people in their care.
This is the latest move in cases involving more than 150 victims and nearly $560,000 in stolen money.
It's the most significant guardianship exploitation indictment in Nevada's history -- so says Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt in what authorities hope will wipe out a long-standing crime wave in our state.
Cheers and fist pumps erupted in the Regional Justice Center lobby from a crowd of people who haven't had much to celebrate over the last few years.
On Wednesday, they went from victim to victor as April Parks, the woman who they say stole everything from their loved ones, was indicted.
"Today, law enforcement sends a clear message to those who take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Contact 13 first exposed April Lynn Parks in early 2015 when she told Darcy Spears, "I do it because I love it," in reference to her work as a private, professional guardian.
Guardians are appointed by the court to protect and serve their wards. They're entrusted with every aspect of a person's life, including their health care and their money.
"I can't imagine a class of people more susceptible to criminals than wards of a court," said Wolfson.
Parks, her husband Gary Taylor, her attorney Noel Palmer Simpson and her office manager Mark Simmons are together facing 270 felony counts of perjury, racketeering, filing false records, theft and exploitation.
The charges involve more than 150 victims who've lost more than half a million dollars.
Authorities say Parks and her co-defendants used a position of trust and authority to prey on disabled, vulnerable people ranging in age from 40 to 90, and systematically bilk them out of their life savings.
"I've never been so happy in my life! All the thousands of hours and dollars I put into this was not in vain," said Elizabeth Indig, whose mother was one of Parks' wards.
So were Julie Belshe's parents -- Rudy and Rennie North. Contact 13 broke their story in February 2015.
"When I reached out to you I was very traumatized," said Belshe. "I didn't know what to do!"
As for Wednesday's indictments, Belshe says, "It restored my faith in the people, in the justice system -- that there are good people in our system that are working and they're on our side -- the citizens' side. Because you start to think, who's going to believe me? Because you tell these stories and they're unbelievable!"
"I really think this is going to send a very strong message to the other guardians and the attorneys and the judges who aided and abetted her in this," said Indig. "And I think maybe Nevada will be clean of this crime and people can move here and retire without fear of losing everything."
Contact 13 will have more on the Family Court system's role in all this as the report continues on Thursday.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, all four defendants had been arrested in law enforcement actions across the country.
April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000.00 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
Parks admitted to Contact 13's Darcy Spears on camera in 2015 that she made major mistakes with her client's money, including in one case, charging an elderly woman $108 for a pair of stretch pants.
Parks was the ringleader of a small group employed by her. They've all been indicted for draining the accounts of those they were supposed to care for while isolating them from their families.
Parks faces more than 200 felony criminal charges for racketeering, theft, exploitation and perjury.
She was arrested in Pennsylvania on March 8, extradited to Las Vegas and booked into Clark County Detention Center Tuesday.
Contact 13's investigation helped lead the way for reform in the guardianship system and the criminal case against Parks.
That came just in time as we uncovered in court documents that Parks was about to expand her business and hire more staff. She'd gotten a contract with Valley Health System's six Las Vegas hospitals, which would make her the first choice to refer patients for guardianship services.
There's no telling how many of those potential referrals could have fallen victim to the alleged crimes Parks and her associates are charged with. Valley Health Systems declined to comment.
Contact 13 requested an on-camera interview with April Parks at the jail but haven't heard back. And we tried to reach her attorney but his voicemail was full.
UPDATE MARCH 27: Mark Simmons is now behind bars in Las Vegas. Simmons faces 134 felony criminal charges including racketeering, exploitation of the elderly and theft.
He was extradited from Indiana and booked into Clark County Detention Center this weekend. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on Wednesday.
UPDATE MARCH 14: Private for profit guardian April Parks is now behind bars. She and three others were indicted last week for running a criminal enterprise involving theft and exploitation.
Court records show Parks disregarded her duty as a guardian, treating the vulnerable as "cash cows."
In one example, Parks and her business partner Mark Simmons profited from a scam where they bought Christmas gifts for their wards, such as popcorn, socks and other small items. When the wards received the gifts, they were charged at a hourly rate of $100 per hour.
Clients were also billed when Parks' husband Gary Taylor drove to the courthouse and waited in line to file papers that could have been submitted online.
UPDATE MARCH 09: April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- What started with a Contact 13 investigation has led to hundreds of felony charges against four suspects for the way authorities say they treated people in their care.
This is the latest move in cases involving more than 150 victims and nearly $560,000 in stolen money.
It's the most significant guardianship exploitation indictment in Nevada's history -- so says Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt in what authorities hope will wipe out a long-standing crime wave in our state.
Cheers and fist pumps erupted in the Regional Justice Center lobby from a crowd of people who haven't had much to celebrate over the last few years.
On Wednesday, they went from victim to victor as April Parks, the woman who they say stole everything from their loved ones, was indicted.
"Today, law enforcement sends a clear message to those who take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Contact 13 first exposed April Lynn Parks in early 2015 when she told Darcy Spears, "I do it because I love it," in reference to her work as a private, professional guardian.
Guardians are appointed by the court to protect and serve their wards. They're entrusted with every aspect of a person's life, including their health care and their money.
"I can't imagine a class of people more susceptible to criminals than wards of a court," said Wolfson.
Parks, her husband Gary Taylor, her attorney Noel Palmer Simpson and her office manager Mark Simmons are together facing 270 felony counts of perjury, racketeering, filing false records, theft and exploitation.
The charges involve more than 150 victims who've lost more than half a million dollars.
Authorities say Parks and her co-defendants used a position of trust and authority to prey on disabled, vulnerable people ranging in age from 40 to 90, and systematically bilk them out of their life savings.
"I've never been so happy in my life! All the thousands of hours and dollars I put into this was not in vain," said Elizabeth Indig, whose mother was one of Parks' wards.
So were Julie Belshe's parents -- Rudy and Rennie North. Contact 13 broke their story in February 2015.
"When I reached out to you I was very traumatized," said Belshe. "I didn't know what to do!"
As for Wednesday's indictments, Belshe says, "It restored my faith in the people, in the justice system -- that there are good people in our system that are working and they're on our side -- the citizens' side. Because you start to think, who's going to believe me? Because you tell these stories and they're unbelievable!"
"I really think this is going to send a very strong message to the other guardians and the attorneys and the judges who aided and abetted her in this," said Indig. "And I think maybe Nevada will be clean of this crime and people can move here and retire without fear of losing everything."
Contact 13 will have more on the Family Court system's role in all this as the report continues on Thursday.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, all four defendants had been arrested in law enforcement actions across the country.
April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000.00 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
Full Article & Source:
UPDATE: Private guardian April Parks behind bars in Las Vegas
Friday, March 17, 2017
Former court-appointed guardian accused of theft from wards
LAS VEGAS - A former court-appointed financial guardian in Las Vegas, her friend and her office manager were charged Wednesday with siphoning more than $550,000 out of accounts of people assigned to her business as wards of the court.
A 270-count criminal indictment filed in Nevada state court alleges that more than 150 victims lost money to April Parks, her employee Mark Simmons, and Parks' friend, Gary Neil Taylor, through overbilling for court filings, banking visits and services not rendered by the business, A Private Professional Guardian LLC.
Together, the three are accused of racketeering, theft and exploitation of a vulnerable person — charges that could get them decades in state prison.
"Guardians are appointed to protect ... some of the most vulnerable members of our community," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who joined state Attorney General Adam Laxalt and county Sheriff Joe Lombardo to announce the charges after a two-year investigation.
"They are entrusted with every aspect of that person's life, including their health and finances," Wolfson said in a statement. "These defendants took advantage of helpless individuals who did not have the ability to defend themselves."
Laxalt said the indictment "should send a message to court-appointed guardians throughout the state that law enforcement is committed to aggressively protecting our elderly and vulnerable populations."
Parks and Simmons also face perjury charges. In all, Parks faces 212 charges, and Simmons faces 134 counts. Taylor faces seven.
Parks' attorney didn't immediately respond to messages. Officials said she is believed to now live in Pennsylvania.
Simmons' attorney, Julian Gregory, declined to comment. It wasn't clear from officials or the court record if Taylor has a lawyer.
Clark County District Court Judge Jennifer Togliatti ordered the arrest without bail of Parks and Simmons and set bail at $200,000 for Taylor.
Officials didn't say how they believe Parks, Simmons and Taylor spent the money they're accused of stealing from about December 2011 to July 2016.
The indictment alleges they used various schemes to illegally siphon money from the accounts of people they were assigned and entrusted to protect.
One method had Taylor, who prosecutors identified as Parks' boyfriend-turned-husband, serve as a deliveryman to file court papers that could be filed online. Another billed wards for bank deposits made in person rather than by direct deposit.
Wards were billed extra for home visits made to deliver holiday gifts, and one ward was billed $4,800 for services even though he died just two days after Parks filed her petition for guardianship.
The investigation became public with the creation of an enforcement task force in late March 2015, after stories emerged about abuses in the guardianship system. The investigation of Parks began a couple of months later.
The Nevada Supreme Court also created a 25-member commission in July 2015 that still meets monthly to study guardianship abuse.
Officials noted the defendants were affiliated with a private guardianship business, not a Clark County Public Guardian office that serves people legally determined to be incapable of managing their own affairs. The public office also offers a voluntary money management assistance program for people over 60.
The case also led to charges of theft and filing a false instrument against Las Vegas family law, estate planning and tax attorney Noel Palmer Simpson.
Simpson's attorney, William Terry, said his client intends to plead not guilty and will seek to sever her case from the others. Terry said Simpson posted $7,500 cash bail pending a March 22 court appearance.
Full Article & Source:
Former court-appointed guardian accused of theft from wards
A 270-count criminal indictment filed in Nevada state court alleges that more than 150 victims lost money to April Parks, her employee Mark Simmons, and Parks' friend, Gary Neil Taylor, through overbilling for court filings, banking visits and services not rendered by the business, A Private Professional Guardian LLC.
Together, the three are accused of racketeering, theft and exploitation of a vulnerable person — charges that could get them decades in state prison.
"Guardians are appointed to protect ... some of the most vulnerable members of our community," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who joined state Attorney General Adam Laxalt and county Sheriff Joe Lombardo to announce the charges after a two-year investigation.
"They are entrusted with every aspect of that person's life, including their health and finances," Wolfson said in a statement. "These defendants took advantage of helpless individuals who did not have the ability to defend themselves."
Laxalt said the indictment "should send a message to court-appointed guardians throughout the state that law enforcement is committed to aggressively protecting our elderly and vulnerable populations."
Parks and Simmons also face perjury charges. In all, Parks faces 212 charges, and Simmons faces 134 counts. Taylor faces seven.
Parks' attorney didn't immediately respond to messages. Officials said she is believed to now live in Pennsylvania.
Simmons' attorney, Julian Gregory, declined to comment. It wasn't clear from officials or the court record if Taylor has a lawyer.
Clark County District Court Judge Jennifer Togliatti ordered the arrest without bail of Parks and Simmons and set bail at $200,000 for Taylor.
Officials didn't say how they believe Parks, Simmons and Taylor spent the money they're accused of stealing from about December 2011 to July 2016.
The indictment alleges they used various schemes to illegally siphon money from the accounts of people they were assigned and entrusted to protect.
One method had Taylor, who prosecutors identified as Parks' boyfriend-turned-husband, serve as a deliveryman to file court papers that could be filed online. Another billed wards for bank deposits made in person rather than by direct deposit.
Wards were billed extra for home visits made to deliver holiday gifts, and one ward was billed $4,800 for services even though he died just two days after Parks filed her petition for guardianship.
The investigation became public with the creation of an enforcement task force in late March 2015, after stories emerged about abuses in the guardianship system. The investigation of Parks began a couple of months later.
The Nevada Supreme Court also created a 25-member commission in July 2015 that still meets monthly to study guardianship abuse.
Officials noted the defendants were affiliated with a private guardianship business, not a Clark County Public Guardian office that serves people legally determined to be incapable of managing their own affairs. The public office also offers a voluntary money management assistance program for people over 60.
The case also led to charges of theft and filing a false instrument against Las Vegas family law, estate planning and tax attorney Noel Palmer Simpson.
Simpson's attorney, William Terry, said his client intends to plead not guilty and will seek to sever her case from the others. Terry said Simpson posted $7,500 cash bail pending a March 22 court appearance.
Full Article & Source:
Former court-appointed guardian accused of theft from wards
Thursday, March 16, 2017
UPDATE: Court records show guardian charged wards for Christmas gifts
UPDATE MARCH 14:
Private for profit guardian April Parks is now behind bars. She and
three others were indicted last week for running a criminal enterprise
involving theft and exploitation.
Court records show Parks disregarded her duty as a guardian, treating the vulnerable as "cash cows."
In one example, Parks and her business partner Mark Simmons profited from a scam where they bought Christmas gifts for their wards, such as popcorn, socks and other small items. When the wards received the gifts, they were charged at a hourly rate of $100 per hour.
Clients were also billed when Parks' husband Gary Taylor drove to the courthouse and waited in line to file papers that could have been submitted online.
UPDATE MARCH 09: April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- What started with a Contact 13 investigation has led to hundreds of felony charges against four suspects for the way authorities say they treated people in their care.
This is the latest move in cases involving more than 150 victims and nearly $560,000 in stolen money.
It's the most significant guardianship exploitation indictment in Nevada's history -- so says Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt in what authorities hope will wipe out a long-standing crime wave in our state.
Cheers and fist pumps erupted in the Regional Justice Center lobby from a crowd of people who haven't had much to celebrate over the last few years.
On Wednesday, they went from victim to victor as April Parks, the woman who they say stole everything from their loved ones, was indicted.
"Today, law enforcement sends a clear message to those who take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Contact 13 first exposed April Lynn Parks in early 2015 when she told Darcy Spears, "I do it because I love it," in reference to her work as a private, professional guardian.
Guardians are appointed by the court to protect and serve their wards. They're entrusted with every aspect of a person's life, including their health care and their money.
"I can't imagine a class of people more susceptible to criminals than wards of a court," said Wolfson.
Parks, her husband Gary Taylor, her attorney Noel Palmer Simpson and her office manager Mark Simmons are together facing 270 felony counts of perjury, racketeering, filing false records, theft and exploitation.
The charges involve more than 150 victims who've lost more than half a million dollars.
Authorities say Parks and her co-defendants used a position of trust and authority to prey on disabled, vulnerable people ranging in age from 40 to 90, and systematically bilk them out of their life savings.
"I've never been so happy in my life! All the thousands of hours and dollars I put into this was not in vain," said Elizabeth Indig, whose mother was one of Parks' wards.
So were Julie Belshe's parents -- Rudy and Rennie North. Contact 13 broke their story in February 2015.
"When I reached out to you I was very traumatized," said Belshe. "I didn't know what to do!"
As for Wednesday's indictments, Belshe says, "It restored my faith in the people, in the justice system -- that there are good people in our system that are working and they're on our side -- the citizens' side. Because you start to think, who's going to believe me? Because you tell these stories and they're unbelievable!"
"I really think this is going to send a very strong message to the other guardians and the attorneys and the judges who aided and abetted her in this," said Indig. "And I think maybe Nevada will be clean of this crime and people can move here and retire without fear of losing everything."
Contact 13 will have more on the Family Court system's role in all this as the report continues on Thursday.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, all four defendants had been arrested in law enforcement actions across the country.
April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000.00 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
Court records show Parks disregarded her duty as a guardian, treating the vulnerable as "cash cows."
In one example, Parks and her business partner Mark Simmons profited from a scam where they bought Christmas gifts for their wards, such as popcorn, socks and other small items. When the wards received the gifts, they were charged at a hourly rate of $100 per hour.
Clients were also billed when Parks' husband Gary Taylor drove to the courthouse and waited in line to file papers that could have been submitted online.
UPDATE MARCH 09: April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- What started with a Contact 13 investigation has led to hundreds of felony charges against four suspects for the way authorities say they treated people in their care.
This is the latest move in cases involving more than 150 victims and nearly $560,000 in stolen money.
It's the most significant guardianship exploitation indictment in Nevada's history -- so says Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt in what authorities hope will wipe out a long-standing crime wave in our state.
Cheers and fist pumps erupted in the Regional Justice Center lobby from a crowd of people who haven't had much to celebrate over the last few years.
On Wednesday, they went from victim to victor as April Parks, the woman who they say stole everything from their loved ones, was indicted.
"Today, law enforcement sends a clear message to those who take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens," said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Contact 13 first exposed April Lynn Parks in early 2015 when she told Darcy Spears, "I do it because I love it," in reference to her work as a private, professional guardian.
Guardians are appointed by the court to protect and serve their wards. They're entrusted with every aspect of a person's life, including their health care and their money.
"I can't imagine a class of people more susceptible to criminals than wards of a court," said Wolfson.
Parks, her husband Gary Taylor, her attorney Noel Palmer Simpson and her office manager Mark Simmons are together facing 270 felony counts of perjury, racketeering, filing false records, theft and exploitation.
The charges involve more than 150 victims who've lost more than half a million dollars.
Authorities say Parks and her co-defendants used a position of trust and authority to prey on disabled, vulnerable people ranging in age from 40 to 90, and systematically bilk them out of their life savings.
"I've never been so happy in my life! All the thousands of hours and dollars I put into this was not in vain," said Elizabeth Indig, whose mother was one of Parks' wards.
So were Julie Belshe's parents -- Rudy and Rennie North. Contact 13 broke their story in February 2015.
"When I reached out to you I was very traumatized," said Belshe. "I didn't know what to do!"
As for Wednesday's indictments, Belshe says, "It restored my faith in the people, in the justice system -- that there are good people in our system that are working and they're on our side -- the citizens' side. Because you start to think, who's going to believe me? Because you tell these stories and they're unbelievable!"
"I really think this is going to send a very strong message to the other guardians and the attorneys and the judges who aided and abetted her in this," said Indig. "And I think maybe Nevada will be clean of this crime and people can move here and retire without fear of losing everything."
Contact 13 will have more on the Family Court system's role in all this as the report continues on Thursday.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, all four defendants had been arrested in law enforcement actions across the country.
April Parks was arrested by local police in East Goshen Township, PA.
The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail was set at $500,000.00 dollars. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
Full Article & Source:
UPDATE: Court records show guardian charged wards for Christmas gifts
Monday, March 13, 2017
Woman Wanted On Dozens Of Charges In Las Vegas Arrested In Chester County
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A woman wanted in Las Vegas on dozens of charges has been apprehended in Chester County.
Authorities say the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department was alerted by the FBI that April Lynn Parks, 52, was at a business on the 1300 block of Enterprise Drive in East Goshen Township.
Officers arrested Parks without incident and confirmed she was wanted on a felony warrant in Clark County, Nevada.
According to the indictment warrant, Parks was charged in Nevada with racketeering, theft, exploitation of an older person, exploitation of and older person/vulnerable person, theft, offering false instruments for filing or record and perjury.
Authorities say the investigation in Las Vegas focused on a business operated by Parks that was supposed to provide guardianship to the elderly and disabled.
Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police charged Parks with being a fugitive from justice and she was arraigned. Her bail has been set at $500,000.
Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
Full Article & Source:
Woman Wanted On Dozens Of Charges In Las Vegas Arrested In Chester County
Fugitive Arrested in East Goshen
The 52-year-old, identified as April Lynn Parks, was located in the 1300 block of Enterprise Drive in East Goshen Township. Members of the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department and Willistown Township Police Department arrested Parks without incident and confirmed through NCIC that she was wanted on a felony warrant issued by the Clark County District Court in Nevada.
According to the Indictment Warrant, Parks was charged in Nevada with multiple felony counts of racketeering, theft, and exploitation of an older person. She also was charged with offering false instruments for filing felony counts of perjury.
The investigation in Las Vegas concentrated on a business operated by April Lynn Parks that was supposed to provide guardianship to elderly and disabled persons. Parks was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Lori Novak Donatelli, who set bail at $500,000. Parks was remanded to Chester County Prison, pending extradition to Clark County, Nevada.
Full Article & Source:
Fugitive Arrested in East Goshen
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Steve Miller: Update on Patience Bristol
In an update to my earlier E-Brief, convicted elder exploiter Patience Bristol, a former employee of private guardian Jared E. Shafer, is still serving out her three to eight year prison term.
According to a source at the Casa Grande Transitional Housing facility in Las Vegas, the Nevada Parole Board refused to shorten her sentence, and if she is denied a requested early release on June 4, she will continue to serve out her time until November when her three minimum years of incarceration are scheduled to be completed.
The source states that she has a job during the day, but must spend each night at the transitional housing facility located at 3955 West Russell Road in Las Vegas. The correctional system reportedly takes half of her income for room and board. The source says that the half way house has people who check on Bristol during the day when she is at her workplace to make sure she's not doing anything she shouldn't.
In 2014, while employed at Shafer's Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada, Inc. (PFSN), she was convicted of stealing money from the elderly or disabled people she was tasked with caring for.
During her PFSN employment as a guardian, she stole at least $200,000 in money and property from four vulnerable people Shafer assigned her to care for. As part of her plea agreement, Bristol agreed to pay over $160,000 in restitution payments to her victims.
Jared Shafer was never charged with a crime though he is currently under state and federal investigation.
His business office once located on Pecos Road in Las Vegas has reportedly been closed for the past several months. Clark County Family Court judges who have been accused of colluding with Shafer by appointing him wealthy wards of the court are now reportedly appointing another private guardian, Denise Comastro, the bulk of persons purportedly deemed in need of guardianship.
Comastro has been accused of being a Shafer crony. ~ Steve Miller
 |
The source states that she has a job during the day, but must spend each night at the transitional housing facility located at 3955 West Russell Road in Las Vegas. The correctional system reportedly takes half of her income for room and board. The source says that the half way house has people who check on Bristol during the day when she is at her workplace to make sure she's not doing anything she shouldn't.
In 2014, while employed at Shafer's Professional Fiduciary Services of Nevada, Inc. (PFSN), she was convicted of stealing money from the elderly or disabled people she was tasked with caring for.
During her PFSN employment as a guardian, she stole at least $200,000 in money and property from four vulnerable people Shafer assigned her to care for. As part of her plea agreement, Bristol agreed to pay over $160,000 in restitution payments to her victims.
 |
| Jared Shafer |
His business office once located on Pecos Road in Las Vegas has reportedly been closed for the past several months. Clark County Family Court judges who have been accused of colluding with Shafer by appointing him wealthy wards of the court are now reportedly appointing another private guardian, Denise Comastro, the bulk of persons purportedly deemed in need of guardianship.
Comastro has been accused of being a Shafer crony. ~ Steve Miller
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Florida: Judge Chastised for Jailing Mentally Ill Woman for Jail Outbursts
In a Broward courtroom, Jennifer "Mia" Woodward was loud. Confrontational. Emotional. She spoke out when told not to. Refused to answer questions. The judge says she even gave him the finger.
Judge Mark Speiser threw her out of one hearing in an estate case in probate court, telling her to "Get your face out of here!" At a hearing weeks later, after continued outbursts, he'd had enough: he jailed her for 15 days on contempt charges.
Though Speiser also presides over Broward County's felony mental health court, he did not recognize signs that Woodward was unbalanced. Had he known she was suffering from bipolar disorder, he now says, he likely would not have locked her up.
The judge had the authority to swiftly jail her, without providing her with an attorney, for disrupting the professional operation of the court. The Florida Supreme Court, however, ruled earlier this year that such "extraordinary power" must be used "cautiously and sparingly."
Whether Speiser abused that power is now the central question in a bitter dispute between the judge and Public Defender Howard Finkelstein.
Finkelstein argues that Speiser is a "hothead" who acted in a fit of anger and does not have the temperament to oversee Broward County's mental health court.
Woodward "was unjustly jailed in an act more reminiscent of the dark ages than in accordance with today's ethical treatment of the disabled," Finkelstein complained in a July 21 letter to Chief Judge Peter M. Weinstein.
Finkelstein's office has filed an appeal on behalf of Woodward, 51, of Pompano Beach, and has helped her file a complaint against Speiser with a judicial review board.
The judge, given his background in mental health issues, "absolutely should have known" or at least suspected her condition, Finkelstein alleges.
"It doesn't take very long in talking to her to realize there is something off," Finkelstein said of his client.
Full Article and Source:
Judge Chastised for Jailing Mentally Ill Woman for Jail Outbursts
Though Speiser also presides over Broward County's felony mental health court, he did not recognize signs that Woodward was unbalanced. Had he known she was suffering from bipolar disorder, he now says, he likely would not have locked her up.
The judge had the authority to swiftly jail her, without providing her with an attorney, for disrupting the professional operation of the court. The Florida Supreme Court, however, ruled earlier this year that such "extraordinary power" must be used "cautiously and sparingly."
Whether Speiser abused that power is now the central question in a bitter dispute between the judge and Public Defender Howard Finkelstein.
Finkelstein argues that Speiser is a "hothead" who acted in a fit of anger and does not have the temperament to oversee Broward County's mental health court.
Woodward "was unjustly jailed in an act more reminiscent of the dark ages than in accordance with today's ethical treatment of the disabled," Finkelstein complained in a July 21 letter to Chief Judge Peter M. Weinstein.
Finkelstein's office has filed an appeal on behalf of Woodward, 51, of Pompano Beach, and has helped her file a complaint against Speiser with a judicial review board.
The judge, given his background in mental health issues, "absolutely should have known" or at least suspected her condition, Finkelstein alleges.
"It doesn't take very long in talking to her to realize there is something off," Finkelstein said of his client.
Full Article and Source:
Judge Chastised for Jailing Mentally Ill Woman for Jail Outbursts
Friday, July 29, 2016
'Sweetheart Swindler' Sentenced for Theft of $59,000, Exploitation of Elderly Adult
A woman who has been called a “sweetheart swindler” was sentenced Monday for withdrawing money from an older man’s bank account.
Phanta Daramy, 57, of Northeast D.C., was sentenced to seven years in prison with all but two years suspended and five years of supervised probation.
According to police statements and court documents, Daramy met John Andrews, 81, inside of a Giant grocery store and eventually married him. Between September and October 2015 she allegedly withdrew $59,000 from his Bank of America account. When Daramy later attempted to withdraw another $50,000, the bank called police.
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Anne K. Albright also ordered Daramy to pay restitution of $65,000 to Andrews and have no further contact with him.
Full Article and Source:
"Sweetheart Swindler" Sentenced for Theft of $59,000, Exploitation of Elderly Adult
According to police statements and court documents, Daramy met John Andrews, 81, inside of a Giant grocery store and eventually married him. Between September and October 2015 she allegedly withdrew $59,000 from his Bank of America account. When Daramy later attempted to withdraw another $50,000, the bank called police.
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Anne K. Albright also ordered Daramy to pay restitution of $65,000 to Andrews and have no further contact with him.
Full Article and Source:
"Sweetheart Swindler" Sentenced for Theft of $59,000, Exploitation of Elderly Adult
Friday, July 15, 2016
Sentencing hearing set for former municipal judge
A punishment trial is set this week for a former municipal judge for the City of Lone Oak, who pleaded no contest to a charge alleging she misused money belonging to the city.
A jury in the 196th District Court will decide the sentence for Lisa Marie Brown, who was indicted on one count of abuse of official capacity.
Brown, 57, entered an open no contest plea to the charge June 29.
An open plea means no plea bargain agreement has been arranged in the case and that Brown is subject to the full range of punishment.
The indictment alleged that on or about Feb. 18, 2014, during the time Brown served as municipal judge, she “intentionally or knowingly misused government property”, which belonged to the City of Lone Oak, “by withholding cash deposits, or diverting the money for personal use.”
The amount of the allegedly misappropriated funds was said to be between $1,500 and $20,000.
The charge is punishable upon conviction by a maximum sentence of up to two years in a state jail and a optional fine of up to $10,000.
Full Article & Source:
Sentencing hearing set for former municipal judge
See Also:
Former Lone Oak Judge Sentenced to Prison
Thursday, June 2, 2016
2 Upstate NY women get jail for bilking elderly with false claims for bail money
Naromie Joseph, 29, and Christie Joseph, 25, both of Plattsburgh, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, federal authorities said.
Naromie Joseph was sentenced to time served after spending 13 months in jail awaiting the disposition of her case, followed by three years of supervised release.
Christie Joseph was sentenced to four months of weekends in jail and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy ordered the women to pay $27,200.00 in restitution to victims who sent money to Plattsburgh addresses that the women set up for the scam before placing phone calls in December 2013.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita prosecuted the case, which began with an investigation by Plattsburgh City Police, which later partnered with Homeland Security Investigations.
Full Article & Source:
2 Upstate NY women get jail for bilking elderly with false claims for bail money
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Houston woman sent to prison for bilking elderly of $3 million
Celia Castillo, 59, was convicted after the Texas Department of Insurance discovered she operated an annuity scam, according to department officials.
Officials said they opened an investigation into Castillo after receiving complaints about the legitimacy of the investment products she was selling. Case records show people believed they were purchasing annuities from Castillo, but she was diverting their investments into a bank account she had created for herself and no annuities were purchased.
Castillo's clients were all older than 70 and two were older than 90. None one of them had family members living near them.
"She would really become part of their lives, carefully building relationships with each of these folks," said Geneva Titus, a department investigator. "She would visit with them, give them rides, have dinner with them, all with the goal of gaining their trust and eventually stealing their life savings."
Full Article & Source:
Houston woman sent to prison for bilking elderly of $3 million
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Queens Lawyer Who Spent 30 days in Jail for Raiding Late Judge's Estate Thrown Back in Jail
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| Frank Racano |
When the legendary Bedford-Stuyvesant Slave Theater and an adjacent lot sold at auction for $2.2 million in 2012, the executor of the estate Samuel Boykin and Frank Racano were to report to a surrogates court judge where the money would go.
After several unanswered requests, the judge removed Boykin as the executor and held them both in contempt of court. In March, the Daily News reported, Racano was brought into Brooklyn Civil Supreme Court by city sheriffs where he admitted to selfishly writing over 300 checks to himself from the estate’s escrow account to pay bills.
 |
| Judge John L. Phillips |
The judge sentenced Racano to 30 days in jail and gave him a $1,000 fine.
With Racano’s admission in civil court, prosecutors indicted him for one-count of second-degree grand larceny. “We will now hold him accountable for these shameful criminal acts,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson.
Full Article and Source:
Queens Lawyer Who Spent 30 Days in Jail for Raiding Late Judge's Estate Thrown Back in Jail
See Also:
Facility Kept Dying Judge Phillips Hostage, Lawsuit Says
Prospect Park Residence Owner to Pay $750,000. in Death of "Kung Fu Judge"
Monday, April 25, 2016
Steve Miller: "Former Jared E. Shafer Employee Patience Bristol in Halfway House"
CASA GRANDE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
The dormitory-style facility was built to house non-violent, non-sex crime inmates who are within 18 months of their parole eligibility date. The main purpose of Casa Grande was, and still is, to allow these “residents” the opportunity to seek work and secure permanent housing prior to reintegrating into society.
Bristol, a former employee of Jared E. Shafer's PFSN, Inc., was convicted in 2014 of exploiting court appointed PFSN, Inc. wards, and sentenced to 5 - 8 years in the Nevada State Prison. Shafer has - not yet - been charged with a crime.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Linwood woman admits to bilking millions from elderly
Jan Van Holt, 59, pleaded guilty to first-degree money laundering in the scheme that included her sister and a Northfield attorney who specialized in elder law.
Under the plea agreement, she faces a 12-year sentence with 5½ years of parole ineligibility. She also will need to make restitution for a not-yet-determined amount.
Her 60-year-old sister, Sondra Steen, also of Linwood, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She must serve 4½ years before she is eligible for parole.
Northfield attorney Barbara Lieberman was the first to plead guilty in the case. She forfeited $3 million in assets and lost her law license as a result. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison with 3½ years without parole.
The group stole more than $2.7 million from 12 elderly clients from January 2003 through December 2012.
Another co-defendant, 58-year-old Linwood resident William Price, admitted to stealing $125,000 from a couple he met while working as a caseworker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services. He received a five-year prison sentence.
Charges are pending against Susan Hamlett, 56, of Egg Harbor Township. She worked as an aide for clients of Van Holt’s company, A Better Choice.
“Van Holt and her sister conspired with an attorney to systematically siphon away the assets of elderly clients, who typically had no family to look after them and trusted their caregivers to treat them honestly,” acting Attorney General Robert Lougy said. “The treatment these vulnerable victims received was anything but honest; it was devious and heartless.”
A fundamental duty of law enforcement is to protect society’s most vulnerable from exploitation, said Elie Honig, director of the state Division of Criminal Justice.
“We rightfully reserve some of the harshest penalties for those who prey on children and the elderly,” he said. “In this case, we have secured prison sentences of 10 years or more for the three women at the heart of this scheme.”
State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes called the crimes “insidious and callous.”
Van Holt was a a case worker for Atlantic County Adult Protective Services from 2002 through December 2007, when she was terminated. She used that job to recruit five of the group’s victims.
Van Holt generally was the one to identify potential clients, approaching them to offer the services of A Better Choice and Lieberman.
Once a target accepted Van Holt’s offer of services, Steen usually would be put in place as the victim’s primary caregiver. Lieberman would then be brought in to do legal work, preparing powers of attorney and wills for the clients.
Van Holt and Steen — who lived together — used the money they stole for expenses, including veterinary bills, pool supplies, two Mercedeses and to lease a Florida condominium.
A portion went to the victims’ expenses to help hide the thefts.
If the victim owned stocks or bonds, they were cashed out and the funds deposited into the account allegedly controlled by the defendants. Lieberman would usually name herself or Van Holt as executor when she prepared the victims’ wills, with Steen as beneficiary.
The investigation began after the New Jersey Office of the Public Guardian referred a case involving one of the victims to the State Police.
Van Holt is scheduled for sentencing May 13 before Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury in Mays Landing.
Full Article & Source:
Linwood woman admits to bilking millions from elderly
Monday, April 11, 2016
Feds will take some of disgraced Clark County Judge Steven Jones’ pension
 |
| Former Family Court Judge Steven Jones |
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
A federal judge Monday gave the government permission to commandeer the public pension of former Family Court Judge Steven Jones to help pay $2.9 million in restitution owed victims of his investment scheme.
The Public Employees Retirement System of Nevada — which says Jones is eligible for roughly $10,000 per month for life under early retirement — fought the effort in the interest of preserving the integrity of the system for its 155,000 members.
In a ruling from the bench, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey said the government has a right to step into Jones’ shoes and apply a portion of the early retirement benefit to the owed restitution.
Dorsey said federal prosecutors could garnish 25 percent of the $10,000 each month and put the rest of the money in the former judge’s federal prison account. Prosecutors plan to seek the rest of the money at a later date.
PERS General Counsel Christopher Nielsen told Dorsey he would work with prosecutors on a written order setting parameters of the pension grab.
Jones, 58, is serving a 26-month prison term at a federal facility near Bakersfield, Calif. as a result of his conviction for participating in the decade-long investment scheme. His projected release date is April 12, 2017.
He pleaded guilty in September 2014 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and resigned after 20 years on the bench. The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline last month banned Jones from the bench for life.
An October 2012 indictment alleged that Jones and five others persuaded people to lend them money for investment projects under the guise of quick repayment with high interest. Jones later admitted that he used his judicial office to further the fraud. At least 22 victims were swindled out of the $2.9 million.
Full Article & Source:
Feds will take some of disgraced Clark County Judge Steven Jones’ pension
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Queens Lawyer Jailed for 30 Days After Admitting He Raided Late Judge's Estate
A Queens attorney was thrown into jail for 30 days after admitting he raided the late Judge John (Kung Fu) Phillips’ estate for two years, the Daily News has learned.
Frank Racano, who worked as an attorney for Rev. Samuel Boykin — Phillips’s nephew — has been locked up since March 1 for not complying with a court order telling him to account for funds from the more than $2 million auction of the Slave Theater building and nearby property in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Racano, 54 of Howard Beach, was hauled into Brooklyn Supreme Court by city sheriffs Wednesday. He wore an orange jumpsuit and needed a cane to walk because of a foot injury.
“I tried to stay afloat and it all just snowballed,” Racano told Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Laura Lee Jacobson.
Racano admitted that he “robbed from Peter to pay Paul” by writing checks from Phillips’ estate’s escrow account and putting the money into his personal accounts to pay off debts.
“This estate was used as everyone’s honey pot ... He took an oath as an officer of the court and he violated them,” said Jacobson.
Full Article and Source:
Queens Lawyer Jailed Raiding Late Judge's Estate
See Also:
Facility Kept Dying Judge Hostage, Lawsuit Claims
Racano, 54 of Howard Beach, was hauled into Brooklyn Supreme Court by city sheriffs Wednesday. He wore an orange jumpsuit and needed a cane to walk because of a foot injury.
“I tried to stay afloat and it all just snowballed,” Racano told Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Laura Lee Jacobson.
Racano admitted that he “robbed from Peter to pay Paul” by writing checks from Phillips’ estate’s escrow account and putting the money into his personal accounts to pay off debts.
“This estate was used as everyone’s honey pot ... He took an oath as an officer of the court and he violated them,” said Jacobson.
 |
| Judge John L. Phillips |
Full Article and Source:
Queens Lawyer Jailed Raiding Late Judge's Estate
See Also:
Facility Kept Dying Judge Hostage, Lawsuit Claims
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Care workers jailed after patient dies in home
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| Lily Campbell |
Manchester Crown Court has heard that Abdul Khan, who is 22 and of Roland Road, Bolton, and 53 year old Pratima Munjal from Montana Square, Openshaw, failed to check on Mrs Campbell through the night. When they eventually discovered that she had died they altered records to show that they had visited her and they also changed the bedding and washed her before calling the emergency services to report her death.
Paramedics became suspicious when they discovered evidence of rigor mortis suggesting that Mrs Campbell had been dead for hours, despite Munjal's claims that she had been breathing when she checked her less than an hour before. Munjal continued to lie when interviewed by police, and a post mortem examination showed that the pensioner had been dead for hours.
Munjal has now been jailed for 10 months for her part in the deception, and Khan imprisoned for six months.
Mrs Campbell's son and daughter, Clinton and Linda Credit: MEN
The last year has been horrific. It has devastated the entire family and only now can we have any closure. My mum was an inspirational, strong woman. For her to have died in agony in her care home bed with no one checking on her is terrible. We are angry, she didn’t deserve that. But we are happy to see both Khan and Munjal behind bars, and for the judge to say that he wanted to make an example of them. Hopefully now we can find some peace.
– Linda Campbell, Lily Campbell's daughter
Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Mrs. Campbell’s family for their loss. We deeply regret the distress that was caused to Mrs. Campbell in her final hours and to the family. Following Mrs Campbell’s death the home manager and our regional management team cooperated with the police and Salford Council’s Adult Safeguarding Team in an investigation into her care records and a call that was made to the emergency services. These investigations led to a nurse and care assistant being charged in relation to attempting to pervert the course of justice. The overwhelming majority of nursing and care staff do a difficult job extraordinarily well, day after day to make life better for the people living in care homes. It is deeply disappointing and upsetting whenever we come across the exceptions who let down their colleagues and the people in their care. What these people did was not just against all their professional training and the company policies and procedures to support the well-being of residents, it was a criminal act.
– Spokesperson for Four Seasons the company which runs Laburnum Court care home in SalfordFull Article & Source:
Care workers jailed after patient dies in home
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