Charges
Social Security fraud (20 counts)
United States v. Panagiotopoulos, CR 16-264-R
Attorney: Charles Brown
Outcome
Not guilty on all 20 counts
Federal prosecutors charged our client with twenty counts of Social Security fraud — a complex benefits case built on years of government records and financial documents. The government alleged that our client had systematically defrauded the Social Security Administration over an extended period.
We challenged the government’s case on every level — attacking the reliability of the records, the methodology behind the fraud calculations, and the intent element that federal fraud charges require. Proving that a person knowingly defrauded the government is a high bar, and we held the prosecution to it.
Our cross-examinations of the government’s witnesses exposed significant gaps in their analysis. The jury heard the full story of our client — who they were, their circumstances, and why the government’s narrative didn’t hold up under scrutiny.
The federal jury returned a not guilty verdict on all twenty counts.
Our client walked out of federal court free.