Philly Man Pleads Guilty in Ambulance Kickback Scheme

PHILADELPHIA – In a stunning reversal of fortune, 61-year-old William Conner has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive Medicare fraud scandal that exploited the elderly and left taxpayers on the hook for over $2 million. The Philadelphia man admitted to accepting kickbacks and lying to law enforcement about his role in the scam.

Conner’s scheme involved unnecessary ambulance transportation services, with Brotherly Love Ambulance, Inc., co-founded by Feda Kuran, at the center of the operation. Despite being eligible for Medicare and Medicaid transport alternatives, Conner was transported via Brotherly Love for dialysis treatments, accepting monthly payments in return.

The fraudulent billings exceeded $55,000 personally for Conner, with the scheme as a whole costing Medicare over $2 million. When confronted by federal law enforcement, Conner denied ever receiving cash from Kuran or his operation, a lie that did not hold up under scrutiny.

Conner faces a daunting sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine totaling $1 million. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 28, 2015, before U.S. District Court Judge William H. Yohn, Jr.

Feda Kuran was sentenced in November 2014 to 64 months in prison for his part in the scheme. The investigation was a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J.D. Hogan and Paul W. Kaufman are prosecuting this case with vigor, ensuring that those who exploit the vulnerable are held accountable for their actions.

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