American who sought passports in names of dead Irish babies identified by US police

MATTER HAS BEEN THROUGH CORK DISTRICT COURTS AND IS NOW BEFORE CORK CIRCUIT CRIMINAL COURT

AN American man who applied for passports in the names of two dead Irish babies was finally identified thanks to the US authorities after it emerged he had an arrest record in Michigan from 1970.

The revelation came as sentencing of Randolph Kirk Parker (73) was adjourned before Cork Circuit Criminal Court after the pensioner admitted charges of supplying false information in a bid to obtain an Irish passport.

Det Garda Padraig Hanley of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) told the court that reports relating to Parker first came to their attention in 2017.

In 2022, Parker made an application from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to renew an Irish passport in the name of Geoffrey Warbrook.

Det Garda Hanley said this application sparked an investigation as it was realised that Geoffrey Warbrook was the name of a child who died as an infant in 1953 in Ireland.

Parker was subsequently arrested on September 14 last at Cork Passport Office when he appeared in person to renew a passport in the name of Philip Frank Morris.

Dt Garda Hanley said Parker had applied for a ‘fast track passport’ in the name of Mr Morris so he could leave the country.

At that time, Gardaí believed that Morris was his real identity.

However, Gardaí subsequently established that Philip Morris was also an Irish child who died as an infant in 1952.

“We had two identities for this person and four passports were applied for. Two applications in the name of Philip Morris and two in the name of Geoffrey Warbrook. He had falsely obtained genuine Irish passports,” Det Garda Hanley said.

“We had no idea who this person was. Numerous inquiries were carried out with the assistance of Interpol and the assistance of the US Embassy and Irish and international agencies. He had an (US) arrest record from 1970 in Michigan and was identified as Randolph Parker.”

It emerged that Parker was born on March 7, 1951 and is a US national.

His fingerprints were widely circulated following his arrest in Michigan and he was identified with the assistance of the FBI and the US Embassy.

Interpol had liaised with their 195 member countries in a bid to assist Gardaí to identify him.

Gardaí had also been in touch with agencies in Ireland such as the RSA, the Residential Tenancies Board, the ESB and the VHI as they tried to establish the identity of the man.

Parker held an Irish passport for three decades but only recently obtained a PPS number.

Dt Garda Hanley said that the charge sheet was amended to reflect the true identity of the defendant.

Last February, Parker pleaded guilty before Cork District Court to four charges of using false information to obtain passports.

He also admitted one count of possession of a false instrument.

The charges of using false information to obtain passports relate to dates including September 12 to 24 2012; August 7, 2013; June 7, 2022 and September 11, 2023.

The matter was referred from the district court to Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Det Garda Hanley said that the false instrument referred to was an Irish drivers licence issued in 2011 in the name of Philip Morris.

A charge relating to offering a false name to a member of An Garda Siochana following his arrest was struck out.

Det Garda Hanley told Judge Jonathan Dunphy that he interviewed Parker on two occasions.

He said that it was “an unusual” experience as whilst the pensioner did not co operate and refused to answer any queries he was not obstructive and was extremely polite.

“He was affable and articulate but refused to engage with the investigation.”

Det Garda Hanley said that Parker had “no previous convictions that we are aware of ”.

“We have very little (in the way of information.) He did previously hold a US passport in 1999. We believe he first entered Ireland in 1988 through Shannon Airport then travelled over Europe and lived in Amsterdam.

“He had VHI here and a post office box at an address in Dublin and numerous friends all over Ireland who knew him by a different name entirely.”

Det Garda Hanley previously told the court that they had spoken to the brother of the late Philip Morris who died at the age of four months in 1953.

He said that they also engaged with relatives of Mr Warbrook who also confirmed that he died as a young baby in the early 1950s.

Prosecuting barrister, Emmet Boyle BL, said that Parker was anxious to have the matter dealt with and signed a plea of guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Defence barrister, Brendan Kelly BL, said that his client was a “very affable, articulate intelligent man” who was “pleasant to deal with” during the course of their consultations.

“He has no familial connections in the jurisdiction. Friends knew him by another identity. He (Parker) came to Europe in the 1980s for business activities and met a man who facilitated him (with the Irish passports).”

He said that since he was remanded in custody Parker has worked on his computer skills and in the library in Cork Prison.

Det Garda Hanley said that he wasn’t surprised to hear this as Parker was clearly a “man of books”.

Mr Kelly asked that a deduction be taken from the headline sentence for his client arising out of his signed plea.

“He was also at all stages pleasant and cooperative. His signed plea was of significant assistance and short circuited the entire proceeds. An enhanced deduction should be afforded. He entered a plea at the first opportunity.”

Mr Kelly further submitted that his client’s sentence should be backdated to when he first entered custody last September.

“He (Parker) has lived in the EU for some time but he is (still) effectively a foreign national with no familial connection. His time in custody will be difficult and egregious for him.”

He said he had applied for false passports after he encountered “visa difficulties” in the course of his business activities.

Parker met a man with a “knowledge of the Irish passport system” who gave him certain advice the court heard.

The defendant was not required to speak during the short hearing.

He appeared in court wearing a white shirt, grey pants and had his grey hair tied back in a ponytail.

Judge Dunphy remanded Parker in continuing custody to appear before Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing on April 22 next.