Nixa contractor indicted for Joplin tornado fraud

According to a news release from the office of theU.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Parker is accused of a fraud scheme in which he operated an office in the couple’s Joplin residence, wrote a check from the homeowner’s checkbook and deposited it with a forged signature, and initiated five wire transfers from the homeowner’s checking account. The 23-count federal indictment, which was unsealed today and includes a money judgment of $73,060, charges Parker with six counts of bank fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of witness tampering, the release said.

The 84-year-old victim, only identified as “H.B.” in the indictment, hired Alliance Contracting of Nixa to repair his house following the May 22, 2011, tornado. Parker, 57, who remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, regularly visited the Joplin home between June and February during which time he allegedly set up an office in H.B.’s basement and wrote a $38,640 check to himself from H.B.’s checkbook.

In November 2011, Parker persuaded H.B., who did not own a computer, to get Internet access at his home so Parker could order supplies and conduct other business online. The indictment said H.B. agreed to pay for the service, and Parker allegedly set up an online banking account for H.B.’s checking account, without H.B.’s knowledge or permission. Parker directed all bank statements and other notifications from the bank to be delivered to Parker’s e-mail address. Parker then allegedly established a PayPal account, without H.B.’s knowledge or permission, which was linked to H.B.’s checking account, the release said.

Between Dec. 31, 2011, and Feb. 22, 2012, Parker allegedly initiated five wire transfers totaling $34,420 from H.B.’s checking account into the PayPal account. Most of those funds were then transferred from H.B.’s PayPal account to Parker’s own PayPal account. According the indictment, Parker used those funds to purchase $434 in jewelry on eBay, and to transfer $10,500 to his brother’s PayPal account and another $20,167 to his own bank account.

The indictment also alleges that Parker falsely and fraudulently identified himself as H.B. in two telephone conversations with PayPal employees.

According to the indictment, Parker harassed H.B. immediately after H.B. reported the theft to the bank and filed a police report. Parker allegedly filed a complaint with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, accusing H.B. of abusing his wife. The release said H.B. was caring for his 88-year-old wife, who required home care and nursing assistance.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Joplin Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich, and the evidence will now be presented to a federal trial jury.