Las Vegas Sun

April 25, 2024

Ex-appointed guardian admits exploiting wards of the court

A former court-appointed financial guardian, her husband, her office manager and a lawyer have taken plea deals in what authorities called the biggest elder exploitation case ever prosecuted in Nevada.

April Parks, Gary Neil Taylor and Mark Simmons each pleaded an equivalent of no contest Monday in Las Vegas to multiple felonies stemming from overbilling and thefts that prosecutors said totaled more than $550,000 from hundreds of victims.

The 53-year-old Parks owned a business called A Private Professional Guardian. She could face 33 to 84 years in state prison at sentencing Jan. 4.

Simmons could face 21 to 54 years. Taylor faces two to five years.

Attorney Noel Palmer Simpson cooperated with the investigation and pleaded guilty to an exploitation charge. She faces probation and loss of her law license.