Just when you thought the world couldn’t be more bizarre, according to the New York Daily News, a Brooklyn man impersonated his dead mother to collect Social Security checks and rent subsidies.
A man in Brooklyn is accused of donning a wig, nail polish and dresses to impersonate his dead mom and collect $115,000 in Social Security and rent subsidies. Read article: www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/06/17/2009-06-17_cops_brooklyn_man_impersonates_dead_mother.html
For six years Thomas Prusik-Parking hoodwinked a stunning array of government agencies with his elaborate charade – using a cane, heavy makeup, fake ID and a phony "nephew," law enforcement sources said.
The 49-year-old was busted in June and was arraigned on grand larceny, forgery and conspiracy charges linked to a deed and mortgage fraud scheme.
"I held my mother when she was dying and breathed in her last breath, so I am my mother," Prusik-Parkin said when he was arrested, according to detectives.
The mother, Irene Prusik died in 2003 at age 73. The flimflam, which the Daily News learned of during a mortgage fraud probe, began immediately.
Her son allegedly gave the funeral director the wrong Social Security number and date of birth for his mother so that her death would not be registered in government databases.
He began collecting $700 a month in Social Security in her name, in addition to his own disability checks, sources said.
He may be the ultimate mama’s boy.
The Legal Examiner and our Affiliate Network strive to be the place you look to for news, context, and more, wherever your life intersects with the law.
Comments for this article are closed.