Ex-resort dock master sent to prison
A former marina manager for the Coeur d’Alene Resort was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Hagadone Corporation.
First District Judge Cynthia Meyer told Anthony David Parks his behavior was calculated, deceptive and selfish, and “a complete dereliction of your duties as a manager.”
Meyer described the theft as “almost habitual conduct” over a period of at least six years, and said she felt it necessary to protect society from Parks. The judge said she was thinking about giving him a fixed prison term of four years but instead went with the prosecution’s “generous” recommendation of two years fixed with the possibility of up to eight more years.
“You’ve earned it,” she said.
Parks was lead out of the courtroom in handcuffs as family members hugged and wept.
Parks was fired from the resort marina Oct. 15, 2015, after an internal company investigation. Coeur d’Alene police arrested him a week later. He was accused of stealing $467,800 from the resort since 2005 has charged with grand theft.
The pattern of theft came to light when an accounting review of the marina’s books revealed irregularities with cash refunds for boat rentals. Resort security installed surveillance cameras that showed Parks pocketing a $477 refund, according to a police investigation.
Confronted by managers, Parks admitted to the thefts and said he used the cash to pay bills, send his children to soccer and basketball camps, and buy things for his family he couldn’t have otherwise, according to the investigation.
An auditor for resort owner Hagadone Corp. found 1,259 fraudulent refunds since 2005, including 156 transactions totaling almost $53,000 last year alone.
Staci Anderson, Parks’ attorney, described the theft scheme as a “heritage situation” in which existing employees taught new hires how to rip off the company. Other employees used Parks’ register log-in, she said, and others have been fired for similar conduct/Scott Maben, SR. More here (subscription required).
