The elderly people scammed out of wheelchair equipment by Paris George tried repeatedly to get their money back.
But every time, George avoided them.
When contacted by a Towson man about his disabled mother-in-law?s missing equipment, George faked a foreign accent and claimed to be someone else. That family lost $8,450.
He told a Baltimore woman calling about her handicapped mother?s payment that his name was “Ray” and that Paris George was not around. She was duped out of $1,500.
He assured one man who needed a wheelchair due to the loss of a leg: “I wouldn?t cheat you. We?re neighbors.” That man lost $5,000.
After years of eluding his handicapped victims and law enforcement, George, 54, pleaded guilty Monday in Baltimore County Circuit Court to a six-year scheme swindling 17 victims out of a total of $33,310.
In each instance, George took advance payment for wheelchair equipment, but never delivered the orders. He then eluded customers? complaints asking for their money to be returned until they contacted the Attorney General?s Office, which prosecuted the case.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, George was sentenced to three years in jail.
Though he agreed to the prosecutors? statement of facts, George still told the judge he had 600 satisfied customers and only a handful of dissatisfied customers.
“There are two sides to every story,” he said. “I?m sorry some things didn?t work out. … I still am a good person.”
Judge Patrick Cavanaugh, known to give out tough sentences, told George his speech was not convincing.
“I don?t believe you,” he told George. “Your remorse is underwhelming, sir.”
After the hearing, one of the women scammed by George, Joyce Byrd, 55, said she wished he had been sentenced to more time.
“He scammed so many elderly people,” she said. “I doubt I?ll ever get my money back. My main thing is to see that he?s punished.”
Denise Burrell, 54, said her 75-year-old mother, Alice, died in 2006 before she could ever see justice for the $1,500 George stole from her family.
“There were a lot of people that couldn?t afford to lose that money he took from them,” Burrell said. “I?m glad he?s getting time.”
