Sandy Parsons guilty on federal fraud charges

SALISBURY, NC (WBTV) - Sandy Parsons has been found 'guilty' of all counts of financial fraud charges against him as he faced a jury in Winston-Salem.

Parsons went to trial last week and faced dozens of counts of financial fraud, and even took the stand on Friday in his own defense.

He testified that he never saw any of the documents that were presented by the government in the case against him. Sandy Parsons said his wife, Casey, handled anything that needed to be signed and when he was asked to sign it, he would.

"That's what I got Casey for," Parsons testified.  "She takes care of me."

Monday afternoon a jury found him guilty on all charges. He was acquitted on three elements of a single conspiracy charge, including healthcare fraud, supplemental security income fraud, and filing a false tax return.

"They did not find him guilty on all of the objects of the conspiracy," said attorney John Bryson. "But they really only need to find him guilty of one count of the object to have it stick."

Parsons was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years, consecutive to any other sentence, and a $250,000 fine; one count of false statement to a government agency, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine; twenty counts of theft of government funds which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and twenty counts of mail fraud which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

During closing arguments the prosecutor told the jury that Sandy Parsons "is claiming absolute ignorance to every major event of his life."

Parsons' wife, Casey, was in court for the entire process until the verdict was read Monday afternoon. She left the courtroom just before the verdicts were released.When asked by WBTV if she had any comment on her husband's conviction, Casey Parsons shook her head "no."  Other family members leaving the courthouse had no comment, and neither did members of the jury.

Asked if he planned to file an appeal of the conviction, Bryson said that would have to come later.

"One step at a time, okay," Bryson said. "You're always thinking that but you don't file your notice of appeal until after sentencing."

Casey Parsons, 39, pleaded guilty to 16 federal charges Oct. 1. She is scheduled to be sentenced February 10 in Winston-Salem.

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