FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18)– On Friday, a letter was read from the victims of attorney Eric C. Conn’s social security fraud scheme. They have a plea for Congressman Hal Rogers, asking for Wednesday’s ruling to be the end of a years-long battle.
The letter follows the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the Social Security Administration tossing all medical records from the four doctors associated with Conn’s scheme was unconstitutional. Because of the medical records being tossed, attorneys estimate that at least 800 of Conn’s former clients lost their benefits.
The victims are asking Congressman Rogers to prevent more hearings, which could keep them without coverage and medicine for another two years.
“It’s time to end this endless litigation,” said attorney Ned Pillersdorf. “The response has always been, ‘well, let’s see what the 6th circuit says.’ We’ve appealed that ruling. Well, the 6th circuit has spoken.”
“Their benefits have been cut off for more than two years. They’ve lost their health insurance, they’ve gone homeless, some have committed suicide,” said Pillersdorf.
Pillersdorf says that his clients have been victimized twice, first by Conn, who was arrested after being on the run for months, living in Central America, now by the SSA. He said that the administration is overreaching on people like Cheryl Martin, who never even met Conn.
“We were guilty by association, and that was wrong,” said Martin.
Pillersdorf said that an appeal by the SSA could mean thousands of hearings and two more years that his clients won’t have benefits.
He hopes Congressman Rogers, who was not available for comment Friday, will reach out to the SSA and resolve the situation. Rogers intervened once before in 2015.
One other issue, yet to be resolved in this case, involves what will happen to the medical records taken by the court. Pillersdorf says he is hopeful his clients will have them by the end of the month.
