A former log home salesman and minister charged with theft for allegedly taking money from clients who ordered from him and not delivering on the product appeared in DeKalb County Criminal Court Friday.
Judge David Patterson presided.
49 year old Lawton Duane Park, originally indicted for four counts of theft involving two victims, entered a best interest plea Friday to one count of theft over $10,000 (which occurred June 8, 2015) and received a five year sentence but he will be on judicial diversion during that period. Other charges against him are to be dropped. If he abides by all terms and conditions of his probation the case will be dismissed after five years and he may apply for expungement of his record. Under the plea agreement, Park maintains his innocence but he must make restitution of $30,261 to one victim and $31,000 to another.
Park, former operator of Starry Hill Log Homes, was accused of entering into contracts with the victims for the sale of log home kits to be set up at their homes in another state. However after accepting payment for the kits, Park allegedly breached the contracts by failing to produce the products sold.
After the hearing, Park released the following prepared statement:
“I have chosen to enter this “Best Interest” plea for that very reason. It is in the best interest, of my family and I, to bring a resolution to a case that would, potentially, drag on even longer than the two years it already has. I strongly maintain my innocence”.
“As a family we determined not to let the circumstances DEFINE but rather REFINE us. We are grateful to God for His grace during this time. We thank Mr. (Hilton) Conger (Park’s attorney) for his patience and stellar representation and Juliana for her kindness. God is good all the time and Jesus is Lord.”