CITY MAN CONVICTED OF IDENTITY FRAUD

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today the conviction of Bernard Parrish, 49, in connection with his use of his deceased father’s personal identifying information when cashing in two winning Lottery tickets totaling $10,000.

Parrish, of the 1500 block of East 28th Street in Baltimore, pled guilty today in Baltimore City Circuit Court to Identity Fraud and failing to file his State income tax return. His winning tickets were Pick 4 tickets, which Parrish cashed in on December 14, 2002.

Whenever you win more than $600 on a lottery ticket, you have to fill out a claim form and give your Social Security Number. The Lottery Agency then checks that social security number against the State’s records on people who owe child support. Knowing that he owed over $17,000 in child support arrears when he won the $10,000, Mr. Parrish used his dead father’s social security number so that none of his winnings would be intercepted and paid over in back child support.

Judge John Miller of the Baltimore City Circuit Court sentenced Parrish to 5 years on each count, and then suspended the sentence and placed Parrish on 2 years supervised probation. He gave Parrish 60 days to file his 2002 and 2003 tax returns, ordered him to pay all taxes, penalties and interest due, and imposed a $1,000 fine.

The case was referred to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Attorney General’s Office by the State Lottery Agency, and it was investigated by the Maryland State Police.

#