How a B.C. romance scam victim is coping behind bars in South Korea as trial approaches

Andrew Johnson has an update on the B.C. woman believed to be the victim of a romance scam who is locked up in a South Korean jail.

VANCOUVER — A B.C. woman who remains behind bars in South Korea after allegedly being used as a drug mule in a romance scam is preparing for trial, with her legal team hoping to limit any sentence to months, rather than years.

Spring Parks, a 59-year-old from Surrey, B.C., has been in custody for more than two months after her lawyer says she was caught entering the country with nearly four kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in her luggage.

“Her spirits are OK. Not great, but OK,” said her lawyer, Sean Hayes. “She is in prison and it’s not a pleasant place to be anywhere.”

Defence argues Parks was unaware of drugs

Her lawyers argue Parks was unknowingly manipulated into transporting the drugs by someone she believed she was in a relationship with online.

“We genuinely believe that No. 1, she doesn’t know what was in the packages (and) No. 2, that she was a victim here,” Hayes told CTV News.

According to her legal team, Parks travelled from Vancouver to meet the man she believed she was in love with. Along the way, she was allegedly instructed to pick up a suitcase in South Africa before continuing to South Korea.

Prosecutors, according to Hayes, are skeptical of that explanation, given the quantity of drugs involved.

“When they see this amount of drugs being brought in, they don’t believe the allegation that this was a scam,” Hayes said, admitting he at first had doubts himself.

“You don’t believe it. But then when you look into the text messages and the communications going back and forth and you see how vulnerable she is. That’s what people prey on,” Hayes said. “Even incredibly intelligent people get caught up in this.”

Legal stakes

Lawyers say the outcome of the trial could range from a few months in custody to a decade in prison, depending on whether the court accepts the defence’s argument that Parks was manipulated.

“A very good outcome to this case is a suspended jail sentence. It would just be time (she already) served,” said Hayes. “Of course, we are fighting for a not guilty verdict.”

Hayes says at this point, without knowing the mindset of the judge and prosecution, a much longer sentence is still possible.

“Ten years is a really bad outcome for this,” he said.

Richmond, B.C.-based lawyer Jason Tarnow, who has represented other victims of romance scams, says cases like Parks’ show how sophisticated the scammers have become.

“They’re using burner accounts, burner phones and burner email addresses,” Tarnow said, adding it is rare anyone besides the drug mule is caught. “They’re gone with the wind after their parcel gets intercepted,” he said.

Coping behind bars

Parks is deaf, which has made communication with authorities and her legal team more challenging. Her South Korean lawyer said she has also had to come to grips with the fact that the man of her dreams turned out to be a stranger using her to transport drugs.

“She had a difficult time processing the whole situation,” said Soyoung Yoon. “She was very emotional and sad.”

Hayes says South Korean jails are generally safe, but the conditions can be challenging.

“They’re sometimes in the winter, colder places than what you should expect, so (Parks) does have supplemental clothing. The food is far from ideal. The food is very basic food, but she can substitute with bought food, and she does, we have put money in her prison bank account.”

Spring’s daughters, Andrea and Lorrene Parks, who both live in Metro Vancouver, say they first learned of her arrest through a brief, shocking text in February, and still haven’t been able to speak with her.

“It’s a mix of … trying to stay strong and then feeling completely overwhelmed at the same time,” Andrea said.

Since first sharing their mother’s story publicly, the sisters say they have also realized she is not alone.

“This is really happening to a lot of people now,” Lorrene said, with her sister adding, “This is something bigger than our mom, at this point.”

Tarnow is backing that up, based on inquiries at his Richmond office.

“There is a huge influx of these cases happening right now,” Tarnow said. “I’m seeing young girls getting caught up in these cases, people of all ages. It’s not just restricted to seniors.”

Family fundraising and support

Meanwhile, Parks’ daughters are trying to balance the emotional toll with practical concerns, including mounting legal bills. The sisters say they have already sold off many of their mother’s belongings to generate income.

An online fundraising campaign set up by the family states they are “humbly” looking for help to cover legal fees, American Sign Language interpreter costs and to rebuild Parks’ life when she returns home, which Andrea and Lorrene hope will be measured in months, not years.

With files from CTV News’ Kristen Yu