Temperance man guilty in theft from his father, 81

2/24/2009

A man who pleaded no contest to stealing money from his father was sentenced to three years in prison Monday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Richard Paren, 40, of Temperance was found guilty of theft from an elderly person or disabled adult, a third-degree felony, for getting $82,489 from his father s bank account and credit cards between May 23, 2006, and July 1, 2008.

His father, Gilbert Paren, died Oct. 9, 2008, at the age of 81. He was a retired lieutenant in the Toledo Fire Department.

Judge Gene Zmuda handed down the sentence, which also ordered restitution of $50,000.

According to court records, Paren used the money to make cash advances at a Detroit casino, make loan payments, and pay for a trip to the Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee.