Port Orange police: Man exploited 97-year-old veteran whose home flooded during hurricane

A Daytona Beach Shores man already facing 10 fraud charges was re-arrested late Wednesday night after Port Orange police alleged he took more than $30,000 from a 97-year-old veteran of three wars.

It was the third time in six months that Steve Parker, known as a former TV news "hero" for his volunteerism after Hurricane Ian and as the administrator of a popular Facebook group, has been arrested on fraud charges and bilking at least five people.

Steven Ray Parker, 52, of Daytona Beach Shores, was booked into the Volusia County Jail late Wednesday and released early Thursday morning on charges he exploited an elderly or disabled adult for an amount between $10,000 and $50,000 and impersonating a contractor during a state of emergency to land home repair work.

The victim, whose name was redacted, is a 97-year-old veteran with limited physical and mental capabilities, according to an arrest affidavit. Police were contacted by the victim's nephew, who has power of attorney.

The nephew told police Parker did contract work on the veteran's home between October and December 2022. The home had been flooded and damaged during Hurricane Ian in September of that year.

The alleged victim met Parker when he was doing work on a neighbor's home. Parker offered to repair the victim's home.

"When (the victim) asked for an estimate of the work, Steven would not provide him an estimate and told (the victim) he would make sure that he was taken care of," according to the affidavit.

Parker collected funds from the victim sporadically between Oct. 27 and Nov. 26, 2022, then set up a Gofundme page to crowdsource money.

On the page, Parker wrote that he has "the honor and privilege to help a local veteran" return to his home after Hurricane Ian. The page noted the victim served in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

"This man gave so much to our country and now it's time to help him," the Gofundme states. It generated $5,041 that Parker added to the payments for his work.

Some of the work Parker did − repairing drywall on load-bearing walls, replacing sinks and faucets, removing and installing a dishwasher, removing and mitigating mold and electrical work − requires a license through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, the report notes.

As work progressed, Parker told the victim he wanted to have a homecoming celebration, which the victim told police was a "form of exploiting him to get the notoriety Steven wanted for the work he did," the report states. "... After the celebration occurred, Steven stopped work on the residence and never completed it."

In all, Parker obtained or used $31,200 of the victim's funds while acting as a contractor without a license, the report states.

Parker, who ran a power-washing business, was the administrator of "What's Happening in Port Orange?" − a Facebook group with more than 40,000 members.

He was celebrated on "Getting Results," a feature on Channel 6 WKMG-TV, Orlando, for donating his time and money to help others whose homes were damaged during the hurricane. And in March 2023 he was honored with the local Elks' Lodge Distinguished Citizenship Award.

After his first arrest in October, Parker took to Facebook to declare his innocence, writing: "I will say this only once. I am innocent of the charges. This is an accusation that was made by one person that took it to the extreme when she was not happy with the work that was being done."

Neither Parker nor his attorney, Carlos Vidal-Colazzo, responded immediately to a request for comment on the arrests last week and Wednesday involving four additional victims.

The exploitation and fraud charges are listed as second-degree felonies. That makes a total of 12 felony charges Parker is facing.

Parker is scheduled to be arraigned on the case involving the veteran on April 16. He is due in court on March 19 for arraignment on seven other charges, while the remaining three charges − to which he has pleaded not guilty − are on a separate track.

'What's Happening in Port Orange?": Facebook page administrator arrested on fraud charges

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Authorities continue unwinding fraud trail they say was left by 'hero'