Donald Glenn Conner, Social Security Benefits Thefts, Iowa 2022

Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Stealing Social Security Benefits

A Fort Dodge man has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for misappropriating over $15,000 in Social Security benefits from a severely disabled nursing home resident. Donald Glenn Conner, 38, also known as Donald Luevanos, received the prison term after a guilty plea to representative payee fraud.

Conner was accused of stealing Social Security benefits from a severely disabled relative, who he had been appointed as a representative payee for in 2018. He admitted to using the funds for his own purposes, including at a casino, a grocery store, and for videogames, subscription services, and other bills. In addition to the prison term, Conner was ordered to make $15,499 in restitution and serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.

The investigation revealed that Conner had falsely underreported his household income and received an overpayment of Section 8 federal housing benefits. He was also accused of removing his victim from the nursing home against a doctor’s medical advice and leaving the nursing home with an unpaid bill in excess of $50,000.

Conner was sentenced in Sioux City by Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

Conner’s crimes were discovered after the nursing home began asking questions about his use of his victim’s Social Security funds. His sentence serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals who rely on Social Security benefits for their well-being.

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