'Liar' gets two years for stealing from vulnerable adult

A man with a history of embellishing his life story was sentenced to two years in state prison after pleading guilty Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to stealing from a vulnerable adult.

"In 19 years, you're the biggest liar I've ever had," Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley told 27-year-old Nathaniel M. Moquin, who had pleaded guilty to obtaining the property of a vulnerable adult between $1,000 and $10,000. 

"You just can't tell the truth," the judge said.

Beachley sentenced Moquin to 10 years in prison, with eight years suspended, and five years of probation. 

Moquin also was ordered to pay more than $17,000 in restitution to the victim and two of his relatives.

Moquin — who gave his address as the Reach Shelter at the time that the charges were filed in 2015 — was charged in separate cases, one for the 87-year-old man, and another involving the man's daughter and granddaughter. 

The case involving the man's relatives was dismissed as part of the plea agreement, although restitution still is owed to those victims.

"He indicated he had $99 million in the bank, but he could not get a credit card," Assistant State's Attorney Daniel Dumproff said, reading from the statement of facts. 

He told the victims he needed access to a credit card to rent a car and travel to Baltimore for medical treatment, Dumproff said.

Moquin was able to convince the man to authorize him to use his credit card. When the defendant used the card at a body shop, the owner thought something was "fishy" and reported it, the prosecutor said.

In the case of the man's relatives, Moquin acted as a real-estate agent, "which he was not," and kept a security deposit after a deal fell through to rent a residence, he said.

"Does he still have the $99 million?" Beachley asked rhetorically.

The judge recalled a 2012 court appearance by Moquin in which he testified during a violation-of-probation hearing that he was a graduate of the “University of Johns Hopkins Medical Center,” and was working on a second degree in statistics and psychology.

Beachley told Moquin that he doubted he had a medical degree from Johns Hopkins and told his attorney to advise him about perjury. Moquin returned to the stand a few minutes later, testifying he planned to enroll at Frostburg (Md.) State University.

The judge gave Moquin 18 months in jail at the time for violating probation on a 2011 theft conviction.

"Does he want probation before judgment so he can keep his medical licensure?" Beachley asked of Moquin's attorneys from the state Office of the Public Defender.

Beachley advised Moquin to "stop spinning stories," noting that "when you get out of prison, don't tell people you were at the Palm Springs Hotel."