NEWS RELEASE

ATHENS MAN PLEADS GUILTY
TO MISPRISION

 

(Tyler, TX) United States Attorney Matthew D. Orwig announced today that a 56-year-old Athens man has pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony in the Eastern District of Texas. CLYDE PARRISH admitted to the charges before United States Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie.

According to information presented in court, Parrish's wife, Julia Parrish, had devised a scheme to defraud investors by encouraging them to invest in real estate in Ireland that Julia Parrish claimed to own, but did not. As a result, she pled guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment on October 12, 2005. Although Mr. Parrish was aware of his wife's scheme, he provided false information when interviewed by the FBI on July 14, 2004, concerning his wife's scheme, and thereafter failed to notify authorities that his wife was committing fraud.

Parrish faces a sentence of imprisonment up to three years and a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan Jackson.