Police: Man steals ID to get surgery
ALLEGED JOLIET VICTIM


August 21, 2008Recommend (2)

By BRIAN STANLEY BSTANLEY@SCN1.COM
JOLIET -- It's said to know who you really are, you should look into your heart.

But police say one man used someone else's identity while undergoing heart surgery and left a mentally disabled man on the hook for $350,000 in medical costs.

John E. Parsons, 57, was arrested on two counts of aggravated financial identity theft Tuesday at his Oak Park home following an eight-month investigation.

Chief Fred Hayes said it appears Parsons began impersonating the victim, a 57-year-old Joliet man, last summer.

"The victim is a gentleman who is mentally disabled. He came forward with his caregiver and acquaintances who also live with him to report this on Jan. 9," he said.

The victim's caregiver became suspicious after receiving a bill for heart surgery from Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

"There were also bills from Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center and ambulance bills from the Joliet Fire Department," Hayes said.

The victim and some of the people he lives with have known Parsons for most of his life. Believing Parsons may have stolen his identity, he reportedly confronted Parsons.

"The victim approached him and learned (Parsons) had suffered a heart problem and had surgery using his name, but threatened to blow up his house if (the victim) went to the police," Hayes said. "The victim and his friends had reason to take this threat seriously because Parsons had served 15 years in prison for aggravated arson."

ID theft investigation
Detective Ed Grizzle led the investigation with assistance from Assistant Will County State's Attorneys Dant Foulk and Chris Koch. Hayes said Grizzle's investigation included obtaining medical records and interviewing hospital personnel.
Grizzle said he received confirmation he was on the right track July 10. As the detective was visiting Northwestern, Parsons allegedly walked into the same waiting room and reported in using the victim's identity.

An arrest warrant carrying a $2.5 million bond was issued for Parsons and executed at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at his residence, 11 Augusta St. in Oak Park. The residence is a two-story house with a chain-link fence, Hayes said.

"During the execution of the warrant detectives recovered between 300 and 400 pieces of medical records including bills, financial documents ... basically any kind of correspondence relating to (the identity theft)," he said.

Police also reportedly found 15 prescription bottles in the victim's name at Parsons' house.

"When his house was searched, Mr. Parsons was not home and detectives went to check if he was at Northwestern Hospital. He had either not been at the hospital or had just left, but he arrived at his residence when the detectives returned (and was) arrested," Hayes said.

Hayes said Parsons admitted using the victim's identity to get the heart surgery.

"It was all billed through Medicare and Medicaid and basically exhausted all of his available benefits," he said.

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