Son-of-Haggard impersonator pleads guilty

A Seattle man who chartered a private jet to Mexico and then charged the $60,000 bill to a Whitefish acquaintance's credit card has been convicted of fraud.

And because he was impersonating Noel Haggard - son of country music legend Merle Haggard - when he did it, Mark G. Sams, 50, will spend at least two years in federal prison.

Sams pleaded guilty in Missoula on Sept. 25 to federal allegations of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

U.S. District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy could send Sams to prison for up to 10 tears and order him to pay up to $250,000 in fines. However, a conviction for aggravated identity theft comes with a minimum of two-years incarceration consecutive to any other sentence.

Sams' sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 9.

According to court records, Sams introduced himself as Noel Haggard to his new Whitefish acquaintance in April 2007. Sams and his soon-to-be victim reportedly met through the man's mother, who was then dating Sams' roommate.

Sams explained that he and his roommate met during rehab at Pathways Treatment Center in Kalispell, according to court records.

During an April 2007 dinner at the victim's house, Sams - still impersonating Noel Haggard - told the victim he had been a Learjet pilot with Clay Lacy Aviation for 20 years, but had to stop flying because he had developed Parkinson's disease.

He also told his new acquaintances that he needed to go to Mexico to check out an opportunity to manage a small resort near Puerto Vallarta.

Sams said he would use a six-figure line of credit he had built up through previous business dealings with the company to arrange a flight to Mexico for himself, his roommate, the victim, and the victim's mother.

Saying he wanted to treat his new friends to the trip, Sams planned an itinerary that took them from Kalispell through Arizona, Las Vegas, and Los Cabos, Mexico before arriving in Puerto Vallarta.

The group left early June 2007.

But when the Whitefish man's credit card bill arrived at the end of the month, it included a $61,000 charge for the chartered jet.

Sams, who also impersonated Noel Haggard while making the jet reservations with Clay Lacy Aviation, provided the company with the victim's stolen credit card information to pay for the trip, according to court documents.

Then, in July 2007, Sams was arrested outside the Valley Club lounge in Ronan for signing autographs and charging people to take pictures with him - again while impersonating Noel Haggard.

After receiving several complaints, Ronan police interviewed Sams and determined he was not Noel Haggard, even though Sams tried to tell police his name had been changed when he was a child to protect him.

An agent for the Haggard family confirmed Sams was an impostor and not related to Merle Haggard.

Police said Sams admitted to signing autographs and posing for pictures using Noel Haggard's name, but denied accepting money for them.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com