Construction Company Owner Sentenced For Defrauding

[carlie]

http://www.justice.gov/usao/ks/PressReleases/2012/Nov%202012/Nov5b.html

Construction Company Owner Sentenced

For Defrauding Service Disabled Set Aside Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 5, 2012

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The owner of a Missouri construction company has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for defrauding a federal program that set aside contracts for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Warren K. Parker, 70, Blue Springs, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States, one count of major program fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of making a false statement.

In his plea, Parker admitted he falsely claimed to be a service-disabled veteran and a war hero in order to obtain more than $6.7 million in contracts from the Veterans Administration and more than $748,000 in contracts from the Department of Defense. The contracts were awarded under the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program.

After an extensive investigation, federal agents determined that Parker and his company, Silver Star Construction LLC of Blue Springs, Mo., and Stilwell, Kan., fraudulently claimed Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business status in order to obtain federal government contracts. In fact, Parker never was classified as a service-disabled veteran by the Veterans Administration or the Department of Defense.

In March 2011, Parker submitted a fraudulent resume in which he manufactured a history as a war hero, including a record of service in Vietnam, claiming he was awarded three Silver Stars, three Purple Heart Medals and other citations.

State and federal records show that Parker served in the Missouri National Guard from 1963 to 1968, he spent six months on active duty. In 1968 he was honorably discharged as a Senior Engineer Equipment Mechanic with the rank of Specialist E-5. His only decoration was an expert rifle badge. He never left the state of Missouri while on active duty or while assigned to the Missouri National Guard.

Parker pleaded guilty to the forfeiture counts of the indictment which will result in a $6.8 million judgment being entered against him in favor of the United States. He also agreed the immediate forfeiture of personal property, including a notebook Parker labeled “Book of Death” which contained list of fictitious Vietnam war “sniper kills.”

Co-defendants who are awaiting trial include:

Mary Parker, 67, Blue Springs, Mo.

Michael J. Parker, 37, Blue Springs, Mo.

Thomas Whitehead, 59, Leawood, Kan.

Silver Star Construction, LLC

Grissom commended the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division and the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt for their work on the case.

[Philip Rogers]

Good!!!! Lets give them all a fair trial and then hang 'em!!! jmo

pr

[tanker2]

and hopefully he will be the head sanitary engineer for his entire 87 mos in prison!

[Hollis]

HARDY seem fair he gets only 87 months in jail, that only 7.25 years for 6.7 millions he has stolen from the Government, that almost a million a year. I think he and his gang (family) needs to serve at least 25-35 years behind bars. I have seen many serve lot more time than that for a lot lesser crime.

sorry just had to vent on this one, just not fair.

[SP4RVN1971]

That 6.7 millon that could help a lot Veteran coming home. I hope there is Veteran's waiting for him with a blanket party

[SolInvictus]

Three silver stars??? Which was he chesty puller or Audie Murphy? How come crooks like these slip so seamlessly through the va system and rip off millions with the cheesiest war stories, yet real vets have to slog through triple canopy style va obstacles for years just to get $2000 a month. This doesn't add up, either the va and the government just makes up stories like these to throw up a smoke screen and make disillusioned vets feel some satisfaction or somebody is seriously sleeping on the job or helping out the crooks from within the system. Seriously, $6m? And all you have to do is walk in and claim you're chesty? Where they do that at???

Three silver stars??? Which was he chesty puller or Audie Murphy? How come crooks like these slip so seamlessly through the va system and rip off millions with the cheesiest war stories, yet real vets have to slog through triple canopy style va obstacles for years just to get $2000 a month. This doesn't add up, either the va and the government just makes up stories like these to throw up a smoke screen and make disillusioned vets feel some satisfaction or somebody is seriously sleeping on the job or helping out the crooks from within the system. Seriously, $6m? And all you have to do is walk in and claim you're chesty? Where they do that at???