Thomas Parkin, 52, of Brooklyn was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in prison for a bizarre crime where he dressed up like his dead mother in a red cardigan and lipstick. Breathing through an oxygen tank, he claimed to be Irene Pruskin who died in 2003 at 77. This would seem to take the Oedipus complex to a whole new level.

Parkin was convicted of fraud, grand larceny, forgery and perjury. In addition to a real estate fraud, he cashed his mother’s Social Security checks every month for six years, stealing about $44,000.
The real estate scam came after Parkin sold the property left to him by his mother and then with Mhilton Rimolo, 49, filed a fraud lawsuit against the building’s new owner in his dead mother’s name. This required an elaborate array of false documents and false statements — and costumes. He was so confident of the ruse that, as part of the fraud claim, he invited investigators from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office to meet with his mom. He explained that he would not be there but the grand old dame would be. The investigators simply noted “He fooled no one.”

It is not clear if this crime was inspired by “Tootsie” or “Weekend at Bernie’s” but there will clearly be no sequel. One quote from Tootsie however does come to mind from Jeff to the main character Michael Dorsey: “I’m just afraid that youre going to burn in Hell for all this.”

Source: Chicago Tribune