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Former Southlake Christian headmaster pleads guilty in embezzlement case

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Huntersville headmaster pleaded guilty Thursday to a scheme that ripped $9 million from his school and church to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Wayne Parker, Jr., of Mooresville, took over as headmaster at Southlake Christian Academy in 1996. He stepped down in 2014 after the Southlake officials launched an investigation on the discovery of missing funds.

In a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Friday, prosecutors accused Parker of stealing funds for everything from homes, to luxury vehicles, to Carolina Panther's preferred seat licenses. Investigators said he built at least two homes for his family with School and Church money.
 
Prosecutors said in 2000, four years after taking over as headmaster, he was living in a trailer. He stole funds to build a 3,140 square foot house.
 
Investigators said in 2010, he built an even larger lake front home. In order to properly fund it, he made all the school employees take a 5 percent pay cut and claimed it was due to tough economic conditions.
 
"It takes an especially ruthless person to steal money intended to educate children and
promote religion, and use it to bankroll an extravagant lifestyle you'd otherwise never be able to afford," FBI Special Agent John Strong said.
 
"If Parker's moral compass was not enough to stop him from breaking the law and ripping off those who put their faith in him, a good dose of American justice will," U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose said.
 
Eyewitness News first investigated allegations of mismanagement at the school in 2014. Southlake officials said Parker and pastor Wade Mallow resigned after an internal review uncovered missing money.
 
"Nobody really knew what the truth was, what happened," said Jim Hamlen, whose children used to attend the school.
 
Federal prosecutor Kevin Zolot said in court Thursday that Parker had a conviction for tax fraud even before he began working for the school.
 
"None of us knew that Dr. Parker had a prior conviction for tax fraud," Hamlen said.
 
Southlake Christian officials released a statement to Channel 9 Friday and said they have put new policies in place in the last two years to ensure something this severe never happens again.
 
"There's something everybody needs to remember about churches, when something like this happens, it isn't the minister or the headmaster that is the reason people are there," Hamlen said. "It's a lot deeper than that."
 
Parker did not comment outside the courthouse Thursday.
 
His attorney, Rob Heroy, released a statement Friday and said in part: "Wayne has accepted full responsibility for his actions and is prepared to face the consequences. He is willingly cooperating with law enforcement and has provided a full confession and restitution to the best of his abilities."
 
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler ordered that Parker not work in a position of trust that involves financials in the future.