A Democrat activist, who reportedly raised $1.3 million from first responders, has turned up in Mexico after apparently faking his own death and fleeing the country.
78-year-old Richard Parina, a San Francisco-based Democrat activist, was found alive and well after supposedly dying in January.
When he “died,” the cash he had allegedly raised also mysteriously disappeared.
It also emerged that Parina lied about serving in the U.S. military, a claim he used to raise funds.
He had claimed to be a retired Army brigadier general who received three Purple Hearts.
In January, a report emerged that Parina died.
He had supposedly passed away as a result of lingering injuries sustained in the Persian Gulf War.
However, the San Francisco Standard revealed that Parina is still alive and has been living in Mexico.
When confronted by the outlet, Parina admitted that his death had been faked.
Parina confirmed to the publication that he is, in fact, alive but blamed his “adopted nephew” for spreading rumors about his death.
“If he just kept his big mouth shut, nobody would have paid any attention,” he said.
But further questions were raised about the excuse as Parina appeared to lay the foundations for his faked death.
Parina reportedly sent an associate an email claiming that he was on his deathbed in San Jose del Cabo.
After an investigation into Parina’s backstory, the San Francisco Standard found that nearly every claim the Democrat activist had made about his life was fabricated.
This includes receiving 21 military medals, going to war in Vietnam and Iraq, being the recipient of multiple Purple Hearts and a Silver Star.
He even lied about growing up in the city.
Parina reportedly admitted to the outlet that he lied about everything.
“I f*cked up and stole f*cking valor,” said Parina.
“And I put it on my hat, and I’m as sorry as I’ve ever been in my whole f*cking life that I did that.”
Parina was last publicly seen on January 17 at the Mission District bar El Rio during a District 9 supervisorial debate.
He announced during the meeting that he was no longer able to devote time to social media.
Instead, he distributed business cards that included his personal contact details.
That evening, his accounts on X and NextDoor were deleted.
The next day, a post made by “Richard Francis,” who claimed to be Parina’s nephew, wrote on X:
“My uncle, Brigadier General (ret) Richard Parina died on January 17, 2024, the 33rd Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, where he commanded the 175th Forward Supply Battalion, attached to the 1st Armored Division.
“He was awarded his third Purple Heart and second Bronze Star.”
The death announcement resulted in an outpour of support from the community, including from San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey.
Furthermore, Parina’s assertions that he had successfully raised $1.3 million for the Catholic Alumni PAC sparked skepticism.
He informed a correspondent from The Standard and several associates, prior to his disappearance, that he intended to finance moderate political campaigns with an emphasis on public safety.
Parina told the publication on Thursday that his claims regarding fundraising were authentic.
However, he claims he has “no idea” what happened to the funds.
He claimed to be in deteriorating health and used the funds he had promised to give to judge candidate Albert “Chip” Zecher to purchase medications.
Additionally, the outlet revealed that retired police and fire personnel, former tech executives, and a North Beach restauranteur had all contributed to the PAC.
