FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — In Framingham District Court, officials believe someone tried to pull off a bold scam.
Recently, the court heard from a lawyer claiming his client, who is wanted by police, is now dead and the lawyer is asking that all charges be immediately dropped.
Richard William Porter, in Framingham District Court alone, is wanted in five open cases including violating harassment orders and forgery.
His mug shot was given to Boston 25 News from New Hampshire, where Porter was charged in April 2017 for false personation, and writing bad checks.
No one has seen Richard in a while, so it must have been surprising for the court to get a letter dated September 9 from a Lynn attorney named Dick Wakefield notifying the court that Richard Porter died suddenly of heart failure.
"I command you to delete all his personal court information in your database. And further, you are to recall all outstanding warrants that you have illegally issued," Attorney Wakefield wrote.
Attached was a death certificate claiming Richard William Porter Jr. died on August 30, that his funeral was held at the Winchester Funeral Home.
It claims Porter died of a heart attack.
Boston 25 News reporter Bob Ward tried to contact Dr. Timothy Tiplon, the funeral director, but couldn’t find him listed anywhere.
If Ward could, he says he might ask him why he misspelled heart attack, or why he misspelled his own name on an official document, or how he could certify on August 9, 2002, Porter’s alleged death on August 30, 2018, 16 years later.
Ward also tried to contact the lawyer, Dick Wakefield, but couldn’t find him either.
The address of Attorney Wakefield's law firm in Lynn comes back as a health center.
Back at Framingham District Court, the judge isn't buying it writing on the lawyer's cover letter: Judge deems not authentic.
Cox Media Group
