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Financial true crime • authority abuse
CASE FILE Case 1
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Court Records & Source Documents

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Eric C. Conn “Mr. Social Security”

Kentucky disability attorney Eric C. Conn admitted to helping run a scheme that used bribed medical providers and a Social Security administrative law judge to push through large numbers of disability claims. Federal authorities said the misconduct led to thousands of questionable approvals and triggered later benefit reviews and litigation over how suspensions were handled, while the Social Security Administration estimated the overall fraud exposure at about $550 million.

Key Facts

Role / Authority
Disability attorney (“Mr. Social Security”)
Category
Authority Theft / Benefits Fraud
Location
Pikeville, Kentucky, USA (Eastern District of Kentucky)
Time Period
Approx. 2004–2016 (scheme period cited by federal authorities)
Victims / Target
Social Security Administration and federal healthcare programs; disability claimants whose cases were later reviewed/suspended because of tainted evidence.
Alleged/Proven Mechanism
Prosecutors said Conn paid illegal gratuities and coordinated with medical providers and an administrative law judge (David B. Daugherty) to submit/pre-package medical reports and rapidly approve disability claims at scale, generating attorney fees while shifting major costs to taxpayers.
Outcome
March 24, 2017: pleaded guilty (theft of government money; paying illegal gratuities). July 14, 2017: sentenced in absentia to 12 years after fleeing custody. Dec 2017: captured in Honduras. June 4, 2018: convicted at trial on conspiracy counts tied to the fraud/escape/retaliation plot; Sept 7, 2018: sentenced to 15 additional years and ordered to pay $72,574,609 in restitution. SSA estimated the fraud exposure at about $550 million.

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