Judge among fraudsters busted in Social Security scam

[Geee]

Washington Times:

Federal agents this week rounded up key figures from one of the biggest frauds in Social Security history, beginning to close out a scandal that forced the government to confront the extent of problems in its generous disability benefit programs.

 

The brazen scheme involved a lawyer who recruited bogus applicants and faked their medical forms, crooked doctors who signed off on the false forms and a handpicked administrative judge who would spot the applications in the system, grab them and approve them, according to the federal indictment, unsealed Tuesday.

 

More than 2,000 applications were filed by Eric C. Conn, the Kentucky lawyer charged with orchestrating the scheme, which spawned a congressional investigation and a dramatic hearing where senators accused Mr. Conn of shredding 26,000 pounds of documents to try to hide his activities from investigators.

 

Senate investigators said Mr. Conn and David B. Daugherty, the federal administrative law judge who was also indicted this month, even tried to discredit a Social Security employee who blew the whistle on them.

 

Former Sen. Tom Coburn, who led the congressional investigation that exposed the fraud ring, said the new indictments were a testament to the whistleblowers who helped shed light on it.

[SrWoodchuck]

POLICE REPORT: Possible Attempted Suicide by Former Judge

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Local_Social_Security_Judge_Under_Scrutiny_122259399.html

 

BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Barboursville Police are investigating a possible attempted suicide by a former judge being investigated by the U.S. Senate Committee for awarding disability benefits.

According to a police report WSAZ.com obtained from Barboursville Police, David B. Daughtery was found in a church parking lot in Barboursville about 3:20 p.m. Monday.

 

Police say a worker at the church found Daugherty unconscious, sitting in his car. They say his breathing was labored and he had a poor pulse rate.

 

According to the report, the person who found Daugherty pulled him from the car.

 

Investigators say they found a garden hose duct taped to the exhaust pipe of the car, running into the rear passenger side window. According to the report, police found the garden hose was pinched on one end and melted on the other end by the exhaust.

 

According to the report, police also found an empty liquor bottle and empty pill container nearby.

Daugherty was taken to a Huntington hospital. No word on his condition.

 

Earlier this month, Daughtery was named in a report by a US Senate committee, saying he and Kentucky attorney Eric C. Conn improperly awarded disability benefits to hundreds of applicants.

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Nothing beats "farming the government." I have no pity for this man. Unlike some of the people that he helped secure disability...he didn't have one...except maybe his lack of conscience...oh, and the inability to accomplish his "taxpayer relief" plan.