Man faces 14 years for grand theft in marina case
Keith Cousins | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 6 months AGO
COEUR d'ALENE — A former Hagadone Marine dockmaster who pleaded guilty to a felony charge associated with embezzling more than $460,000 faces 14 years in prison.
Anthony Parks, 37, accepted a plea bargain last month in Kootenai County District Court that saw the former dockmaster plead guilty to one felony count of grand theft. Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh told The Press Tuesday that under the terms of the agreement, Parks waived his right to appeal any further decisions made in the case, and no additional charges will be filed associated with the theft of $467,799 through small transactions at the marina between 2005 and 2015.
McHugh added that restitution will be capped at $10,000, the amount of The Resort's insurance deductible, and that his office worked closely with The Resort during negotiations.
According to court records, an employee with the Hagadone Corp. conducted an accounting review of the marina's books and discovered irregularities associated with cash refunds at the marina. The employee, according to records, would later tell police all the cash refunds were tied to boat rentals that never actually occurred.
Upon discovering the irregular refunds, the employee installed security cameras at the marina which, according to records, recorded Parks issuing a cash refund for $477 and putting the money in his pocket shortly after. When management confronted Parks on Oct. 15, 2015, he reportedly admitted to taking money on multiple instances as far back as 2009.
Law enforcement officers were informed of the allegations and according to investigators, Parks told them he conducted the fraudulent transactions two or three times a week between 2009 and 2015.
Court records state Parks said he started taking the money after he conducted a cash refund in 2009 and discovered he did not have to justify the refund to the accounting department. However, an audit of the marina's books revealed fraudulent cash refunds dating as far back as 2005.
Parks is scheduled to be sentenced in Kootenai County District Court on July 28.
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