Tax Preparer Bilked CT Shore Clients Out Of Thousands: State PD

OLD SAYBROOK, CT — A 30-year-old Windermere, FL man, who Connecticut State Police said also posed as a woman, was arrested on a warrant this week charging him with identity theft and multiple counts of larceny in connection with the theft of at least $500,000 from his tax preparation clients.

Joseph N. Parker, who previously lived in East Haddam, CT, was charged with first, second, third and fifth-degree larceny; two counts of third-degree identity theft; payment card fraud; and multiple counts of failure to appear.

"From the later part of 2017 until the end of 2018 Joseph Parker, doing business as Joseph Parker Tax Services, was defrauding his tax and bookkeeping clients," wrote Connecticut State Police in a statement. "With access to his clients' financial information Parker used processes such as double billing and credit card fraud to siphon money from his clients without their knowledge."

State police said the scam also involved Parker posing as a woman named "Alyssa Jean Pipes."

Among Parker's victims were residents of New Canaan, East Haddam, Old Saybrook and Essex.

"Parker’s clients spanned the state of Connecticut and with the cooperation of multiple agencies across the state Parker was brought to justice," state police said, adding that he may receive additional charges in the future because there are still other warrants to serve, and more cases are under investigation.

Parker is being held in lieu of a cumulative $280,000 surety bond, and was scheduled to be arraigned in Middletown Superior Court on Oct. 18.