22MOON.COM
You can see the whole Earth from the Moon!

Like mother,

like son

July 20th, 2009

CHINAVIEW

A New York man has been

charged with impersonating

his dead mother so he could

claim her financial benefits –

for six years.

Thomas Prusik-Parkin, 49,

allegedly wore a wig,

thick make-up and old dresses

as part of his elaborate ruse

to claim $114,440 in social

security benefits and

rent subsidies.

Prosecutors,

who described the alleged fraud

as “unparalleled in its scope

and brazenness” say it started

when Prusik-Parkin’s mother,

Irene Prusik, died in 2003

aged 73.

Prusik-Parkin,

who had lived with her,

allegedly gave his mother’s

funeral director a false social

security number and date of

birth so her death did not show

up on government records.

Dressed as his mother,

he would then collect

benefit checks,

visit banks and even go to

renew her driving license,

said Brooklyn police.

He would be accompanied

by an accomplice who posed

as her nephew, and would help

the “frail old lady” to walk

and communicate with officials.

“He’s not Norman Bates.

This guy is not stupid,

this guy is very smart.

His schemes were brilliant,”

said Charles Hynes,

Brooklyn’s district attorney.

Prusik-Parkin was arrested

after prosecutors received a

tip-off from the owner of the

building where his mother

lived and arranged to interview

“Mrs Prusick.”

He turned up

“wearing a red cardigan,

lipstick, manicured nails

and breathing through an

oxygen tank,”

say prosecutors.

He was wearing a scarf to

hide his Adam’s apple but

failed to conceal his

“rather large hands.”