A former Social Security Administration judge in Alabama is looking at a year behind bars after he was found guilty of receiving sex in exchange for providing government benefits.
Paul Stribling Conger Jr. was 69 when the incident occurred in 2013 that he has since pled guilty to. Court records show that a woman came to Conger claiming she had not received retroactive Social Security benefits amounting to $10,000. The woman, identified only by her initials T.M., then engaged in several sex acts with Conger in order to get her money.
“I’m awfully embarrassed to be standing in front of you today,” Conger, now 73, said to District Judge Virginia Hopkins at his sentencing. “I’m extremely mortified to be in this particular situation.” Earlier on in the investigation, however, Conger did all he could to discredit T.M. and hide the crime. He called her “nuts as a fruit cake” and said everything she said should be “taken with a grain of salt.” He even hired someone to destroy her phone to hide all evidence, according to court documents.
Conger and his lawyers fought for house arrest, with Conger saying he wanted “to continue [reconciling with family] very very badly.” Judge Hopkins, however, found the fact that Conger hired someone to destroy evidence “very troubling.”
Conger is to report to federal prison on July 24, but that date could be extended if Conger encounters any health problems. He will spend maximum of a year in prison with eligibility to be released early, and will not face parole after his release. He was also immediately disbarred.