The Accidental Racketeer

A story full of billionaires, the fast lane, deceit, betrayal, corrupt attorneys, malpractice, the Savings and Loan scandals and Junk Bonds It's the true story of Michael Parker--a self made man who began his business career with $2000 in his garage and grew that to a fortune of over $100 million, 20 years and 55 countries later. In Southern California and worldwide, Michael Parker made a fortune, lived a life of glamor and excitement and became so successful that he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Philanthropy from Pepperdine University and the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst and Young and Venture magazine. All was well and he lived his life on his own terms until he made a fatal blunder. That blunder led to him becoming a person of interest to federal prosecutors investigating events arising from the failure of a major Savings and Loan based in Beverly Hills, where Parker had granted an accommodation from 1985-1987. That accommodation ensnared him as a minor party to the Savings and Loan crisis that became a major prosecution hoping to use him to help convict others in 1991. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to prison. He lost his wife and family and all his earthly goods under color of law in related civil prosecutions. Despite all these things, Parker never gave up. He endured ridicule, the destruction of his life and imprisonment until SIX YEARS after his conviction; over 1500 separate pieces of exculpatory evidence hidden from his attorneys at trial were revealed to be concealed in prosecutors' files. A hearing led to further findings of misconducts and he was released, penniless and disgraced. This could be a story that melds the business writings of James B. Stewart and the fiction of John Grisham, but it is all true. There is much more to tell, but the story pauses in 1999 when Parker was released. This is a riveting story that will make you laugh out loud but might strain your beliefs about our justice system.