Warren County fraudster sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment

Date: Sept. 14, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Albany, NY – On Aug. 31, 2026, Michael Conner, formerly of Lake George, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino to 10 years’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release. The sentence was for Conner’s conviction by a jury on 22 counts of wire fraud and 2 counts of tax fraud in April 2025. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI New York, and Anthony Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

Conner was a self-styled inventor of household goods who owned three patents. Between 2008 and 2023, Conner obtained money from investors under false pretenses. Conner claimed that he needed loans from investors to sell his patents or close on a business deal. In reality, Conner took the money from his victims and spent it on himself, including dinners at fine restaurants, vintage wines, and liaisons with prostitutes.

IRS-CI and HSI investigated Conner and the United States Attorney’s Office charged him in 2024 with 24 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of tax fraud. Following an 8-day trial in April 2025, the defendant was convicted of 22 counts of wire fraud and 2 counts of tax fraud. The trial lasted an extra day because, as Judge D’Agostino noted at his sentencing, Conner faked a suicide attempt before closing arguments to try to obtain a mistrial. Conner preyed on multiple victims, including one he knew was dying. Even following his conviction, Conner caused an email to be sent to victims asking them to support his release from prison so he could go to a fake meeting supposedly to market his products.

In addition to imposing a term of imprisonment followed by supervised release, Judge D’Agostino ordered Conner to pay $1,235,346.12 in restitution. Judge D’Agostino stated that the true amount that Conner had stolen was far more.

Conner’s conviction follows numerous prior convictions, including a sex offense involving a 15-year-old girl when he was 35.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Michael Conner is a vicious fraudster. He stole millions from vulnerable people and believed he could get away with it. At trial, he lied on the stand, and he kept lying afterwards. Even in his allocution at sentencing, he blamed a victim for signing a bad contract with him, and he was so brazen that he tried to allocute a second time — except the judge appropriately refused to hear him. We have no doubt that he will file a meritless appeal, which will be as unsuccessful as all his attempts to escape responsibility so far. It is unlikely he will ever compensate his victims, but at least in prison he can no longer harm them. I am grateful to IRS Investigations for bringing this case to my office and for their steadfast dedication and partnership with my office”

"Michael Conner’s conviction and sentence serve as a clear testament to the unwavering dedication of IRS Criminal Investigation to safeguard the public’s financial interests. When individuals exploit investors or attempt to dodge their tax obligations, they face significant consequences. Our special agents worked diligently to uncover the facts and ensure that justice was delivered for Conner’s victims. We’ll remain steadfast in our mission to investigate financial crimes and uphold the integrity of our tax system,” said Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI New York.

IRS-CI investigated the case with the assistance of HSI. Former Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Barnett and Mikayla Espinosa secured the defendant’s conviction at trial. Current Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Walter also prosecuted the case.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.