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Michael Conahan
Former Senior Judge, Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas
Judge
Overview
Former senior judge of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania who was the mastermind behind the Kids for Cash scandal. Conspired with Judge Mark Ciavarella to close the county-owned juvenile detention center and funnel children to privately owned facilities in exchange for $2.8 million in kickbacks. Conahan handled the behind-the-scenes corruption - arranging the construction contracts, securing the kickback payments, and shutting down the public facility - while Ciavarella filled the private facilities by sentencing children to detention for trivial offenses.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Mastermind of Kids for Cash scheme accepting $2.8 million in kickbacks to funnel children to private detention facilities
Engineered closure of county-owned juvenile detention center to create demand for privately owned PA Child Care facility
Arranged construction contracts and financial relationships that concealed kickback payments
Scheme resulted in approximately 3,000 children being unjustly sentenced to detention for minor offenses
Attempted to conceal payments through real estate transactions and shell companies
Initially agreed to plea deal for 87 months but deal was rejected by federal judge as too lenient
Related Investigations (4)
Criminal Charges & Violations
4 documented violations
18 U.S.C. § 1962 - RICO / RacketeeringParticipated in racketeering conspiracy using his judicial office to enrich himself through kickbacks from private juvenile detention facilities(financial)
18 U.S.C. § 666 - Federal Program BriberyAccepted $2.8 million in bribes/kickbacks in exchange for steering juvenile defendants to specific private detention facilities(financial)
26 U.S.C. § 7201 - Tax EvasionFailed to report $2.8 million in kickback income on federal tax returns(financial)
18 U.S.C. § 1956 - Money LaunderingLaundered kickback proceeds through real estate transactions and shell companies to conceal their criminal origin(financial)
Known Associates & Connections
Mark Ciavarella
Co-conspirator judge who sentenced children to private facilities; sentenced to 28 years
Robert Mericle
Builder of PA Child Care facilities who paid the kickbacks; sentenced to 1 year
Robert Powell
Co-owner of PA Child Care who facilitated payments; sentenced to 18 months
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
DOJ: Conahan Sentencing Press Release(2011)
Kids for Cash: Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.8 Million Kickback Scheme(2012)
Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice Report(2010)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1955-01-01
- Birthplace
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Education
- •J.D., Duquesne University School of Law (1979)
Key Timeline
1994
Elected judge of Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas
2002
Becomes senior/president judge; uses authority to close county juvenile detention center
2003
Begins receiving kickback payments from PA Child Care developers; scheme runs through 2008
2004
Arranges for county to sign contract with private PA Child Care facility
2009-01
Arrested along with Judge Mark Ciavarella on federal corruption charges
2009-07
Initial plea agreement for 87 months rejected by federal judge as too lenient
2011-09
Sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to racketeering
2022
Released to home confinement; ordered to pay restitution