"Broken Bottle" Scammer Sentenced To 20 Years

A career grifter who pulled a carpet knife on a Swedish naval official and his father in Midtown was sentenced to 20 years in prison yesterday. Louis Parson has a long history of violent crimes, and a prosecutor said, "Mr. Parson is a dinosaur. He's still living in the '70s and '80s when scam artists and people of his ilk wandered around New York City scamming and robbing tourists and citizens."

Back in 2009, Swedish Lt. Commander Peter Palm and his father were returning to the Hotel Pennsylvania when Parson bumped into them outside and claimed they made him drop his bottle of alcohol. He demanded $40, but Paul realized he was being scammed (it's a grifter classic!)and refused, saying, "It wasn't my fault." Parson then followed them through the lobby and tried to get them to settle for $20 before threatening them with a box cutter, allegedly saying, "Am I going to have to f--- you up over this?" Undercover officers also saw the scam and arrested Parson, who insisted that he was only acting in self-defense.

The Manhattan DA's office was asking for 25 years to life, but Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lewis Stone opted for 20 years; Stone said, "New York City's economy depends on the tourist trade, and to the extent that it's a city of scam artists, it hurts each and every one of us." Parson had admitted to committing the scam hundreds of times.

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By Jen Chung in News on March 11, 2011 3:12 PM

Comments [rss]

ed_Extinct

"Louis Parson has a long history of violent crimes..."

And as Ted Nugent would say:
"I don't like repeat offenders, I like dead offenders."

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

Now if they'll only do something about those "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS" that never go out of business. I remember in 1979 buying a watch at one of these places, got up to the counter and the guy goes, You want a battery with it? Wait, what? the battery is already in the watch.

mmheidelberger

There's still some relics out there that live in the past that still do this. The timing of this is quite funny, because I have someone attempt this on me the other day (without the box cutter of course).

Mark B

Oh, dontcha know...? You can lie, cheat, steal, philander on your wife, chase little kids off your property with a switch... but if you don't DRIVE, there's something wrong with you.

That's the degree of entitlement attached to driving a car; look how many DECADES MADD has been crusading for stiffer penalties for drunk driving! They've been around since the Carter years, at least!

Just one example of the skewed value system in this country.

ItchyGoiter

This has nothing to do with cars, you idiot (and the idiot above you)

Rocknrope

This guys sounds like a POS, no doubt, but how is it that he gets 20 years, and scumbags who actually kill people, often drunk with their car, get less time?

TimeDown

He may be a predicate violent felon which automatically increases the amount of time he faces.

FU Boy

Because he threatened the tourist dollar.

Besides, it's not like the plebes of new york aren't replenishable. There's another bus full of bright eyes on the way now.