'The Big Conn' is a must-see documentary

Eric C. Conn is a very familiar name anywhere east of Lexington in Kentucky. It wasn’t long ago when Conn was a thriving disability lawyer with unmatched expertise and a perfect track record in Social Security cases.

When he wasn’t on the clock, Conn lived a lavish and flamboyant lifestyle too wild to believe. Described as eastern Kentucky’s James Bond, Conn often jetted off to international destinations in pursuit of beautiful women and exotic views, if he wasn’t at home in Stanville, Kentucky, throwing parties for the local elite and VIP guests.

Or filming a cheesy jingle with Ralph Stanley, the Dancing Outlaw Jesco White, and Obama Girl.

At one time, it seemed there were more Eric C. Conn billboards than people in the mountains. Conn’s law office complex was a tour stop for its roadside replica statue of Abraham Lincoln along US-23. I know because KSR did a radio show there in 2013. That was a bizarre day.

Then in the last decade, Conn was exposed as just that, a con, who gamed the U.S. government and its Social Security system out of a conservative estimate of over $550 million. You may remember, he cut his ankle monitor and went on the run in 2017 prior to his sentencing. I won’t spoil the rest for those who don’t know the tale.

But whether you know Conn’s story or don’t, you need to find an Apple TV+ subscription and four hours of couch time as soon as possible because The Big Conn is streaming’s next big docuseries. Released last Friday, Apple TV’s hit about a Kentucky celebrity-turned-villain already has rave reviews as the story of one of the biggest scams in U.S. history is told to 25,000,000+ subscribers.

A brief review

I finished all four episodes over the weekend and it has my full recommendation. The absurdity of Conn’s life–from running with porn stars in his prime to his fallout to going on the run as one of America’s Most Wanted–is hilariously insane. My jaw hit the floor a few times and I couldn’t stop laughing at a plan he and his accomplices formed against one of the whistle-blowers. They were complete idiots.

Also good for a laugh is the occasional commentary from Mason Tackett, who you may remember as Who steals a cheese grater? guy in a Floyd County news story from 2018. Tackett, a former KSR radio guest, deserves an Oscar nomination for his interviews throughout the four-part docuseries.

Though funny at times, the damage Eric C. Conn’s scheme did to many fellow Kentuckians is nothing to laugh about. The fallout from Conn’s con is an absolute tragedy and the effects are still felt in eastern Kentucky today. You learn the heartbreaking side of the story and some of the people affected in The Big Conn, too.

Overall, The Big Conn is one of the craziest docuseries you’ll find anywhere and, unfortunately, it’s rooted in Kentucky.

The Big Conn – Official Trailer