62°
Michael Conner, 56, of Lake George, was convicted on 22 counts of wire fraud and related charges following an eight-day trial in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 10.
Conner portrayed himself as a successful inventor of household products such as a heated-blade knife, a paint bucket called the “Paint Caddy,” and a rotatable refrigerator shelf. But in reality, he never sold a single patent and hadn’t earned a dime in revenue from any of them, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
Starting around 2008, while living in Virginia and later Warren County, Conner convinced victims from New York, Virginia, and North Carolina to invest a total of approximately $6 million. They believed they were helping him finalize patent sales or settle debts with the IRS and attorneys.
Instead, Conner used the funds for personal indulgences, including frequent fine-dining outings in Saratoga Springs, expensive French wines, and concert tickets, prosecutors said.
Conner also failed to file tax returns for 2020 and 2021 despite receiving more than $393,000 in personal loans during that time. During that time, he had no job or savings and never intended to repay the loans, treating them instead as income, according to investigators.
Jurors found him guilty of 22 counts of wire fraud and two counts of failing to file tax returns. He was acquitted on one count of wire fraud and two misdemeanor tax counts for 2018 and 2019.
Conner faced up to 20 years in federal prison and up to a $100,000 fine when he’s sentenced in August.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Harrison and receive free news updates.
