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Ringleader pleads guilty in huge Social Security fraud scheme; disability beneficiaries in limbo
The Washington Times ^ | April 10, 2017 | Stephen Dinan

Posted on 04/10/2017 3:46:31 PM PDT by jazusamo

A ringleader in one of the biggest Social Security disability fraud cases in U.S. history has pleaded guilty to filing more than 1,700 bogus applications, bilking the government out of potentially a half-billion dollars.

But the administration is struggling to figure out how to handle the applicants, many of whom say that even though their applications were falsified, their cases are real and they shouldn’t be punished for having been ensnared by the massive fraud.

Eric C. Conn, a prominent lawyer in eastern Kentucky, signed a guilty plea late last month acknowledging the scam, in which he recruited and filed at least 1,748 fraudulent applications, complete with fake IQ tests or medical exams. He had a team of doctors and psychologists sign off on them, then had a Social Security judge rubber-stamp them.

All told, his scam left the government on the hook for more than $550 million in lifetime benefits, with more than $46 million doled out as of October, Conn admitted in his plea deal.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: cericconnky; conn; disability; ericcconn; ericconn; fraud; kentucky; lockhimupforever; socialsecurity; socialsecurityfraud
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To: jazusamo

Just the tip of the iceberg.


21 posted on 04/10/2017 4:19:36 PM PDT by utax
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To: hanamizu

Oh, I realize that. It just seems there’s no reason to falsify an IQ test—one would just need to perform poorly on it. That’s all.

And it was part of Obama’s scam to get his people on the dole, to so expand the numbers of it.

Trump probably has some other priorities, but this really needs to be scaled back.


22 posted on 04/10/2017 4:27:31 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: fightin kentuckian

I think you’re probably right, the 1700 are the cases they are sure of and there have to tons they’re not sure of.


23 posted on 04/10/2017 4:28:17 PM PDT by jazusamo (Have YOU Donated to Free Republic? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: jazusamo

Everyone getting disability benefits should be required to recertify their disability every year or two - using a different doctor every time!


24 posted on 04/10/2017 4:33:44 PM PDT by Teflonic (tt)
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To: jazusamo

A lawyer named Conn?

Sounds like another poorly written SNL skit.


25 posted on 04/10/2017 4:45:29 PM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: jazusamo

as a social security disability recipient I can tell you that the program is littered with fraud. the biggest problem being people who qualify as disabled and then work under the table making money. they do this by working for the same type people that hire illegal aliens. this could be doing construction or any other other job that has a tendency to be filled by illegal aliens. to me this would indicate they should not be on disability to begin with.


26 posted on 04/10/2017 5:28:29 PM PDT by PCPOET7 (in)
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To: GnuThere

yes, getting on SSD plus free health care plus a free parking pass...the trifecta of gloating rights....I’ve seen it with my own eyes....


27 posted on 04/10/2017 5:36:21 PM PDT by cherry
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To: PCPOET7
my SIL immediately threw away her cane once her SSD came thru....her halleluiah moment....years and years infact decades of her being on SSD....she had kids so she was able to get a ton of money over the years and invest in extra land and properties and sports cars..

joke is on her though...she really is disabled now...on dialysis...her fancy free years are a memory...

28 posted on 04/10/2017 5:40:48 PM PDT by cherry
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To: fella

Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe


29 posted on 04/10/2017 5:54:47 PM PDT by TStro (Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.)
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To: jazusamo

Those disability lawyers you see on TV are raking it in without illegally scamming. The ones who say “we’ll do everything for you”. I know an honest disability lawyer who gives clients a free consultation. He always tells them to file their own application, keep seeing your own doctor, and keep any appointments SS makes to see theirs. About half the applicants are approved without anything else, so the lawyers keep 20% of their award for the time since they filed until they are approved for filling out an application. He tells them just call him if they are turned down and he’ll file an appeal, otherwise they don’t need a lawyer.


30 posted on 04/10/2017 6:13:27 PM PDT by Hugin (Conservatism without Nationalism is a fraud.)
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To: jazusamo

Imagine if the framers of the Constitution hear about a federal government program to give free money to people for the rest of their lives because they had a note from a doctor saying that they aren’t right in the head, that their brain is wired improperly.

It’s disgusting that the program even exists. If the money could only be spent for in-patient care, I’ll bet that well over 90% of the recipients would suddenly be cured.

The crazy money gravy train must end.


31 posted on 04/10/2017 6:35:58 PM PDT by Two Kids' Dad (((( Islam and Western Civilization are incompatible ))))
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To: Two Kids' Dad

Bump!


32 posted on 04/10/2017 6:39:03 PM PDT by jazusamo (Have YOU Donated to Free Republic? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: CivilWarBrewing
This guy was well Conn-ected.

And he Madoff with all the money just like that!

33 posted on 04/10/2017 7:09:20 PM PDT by Fightin Whitey
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To: jazusamo

First clue was the con is named Conn.


34 posted on 04/10/2017 7:19:04 PM PDT by Enchante (Libtards are enemies of true civilization!)
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To: GnuThere

By some it is called living the American dream. I am aware not of address and specifics other than a particular family, with more than one child in this program, believe they are living “the American dream”. Information given to school counselor by the family in an interview.


35 posted on 04/11/2017 2:34:33 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and. the pursuit of Happiness.)
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