Phila. union gynecologist gets 3 years in fraud

A gynecologist who provided services to members of Philadelphia's largest municipal union was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for defrauding Independence Blue Cross of more than $780,000.

William King, 61, will not have to report to jail immediately, however. Shortly before he was indicted last year, King, who has hepatitis C, was accepted for an experimental treatment program at Duke University. Because the program does not begin until October, U.S. District Judge Robert F. Kelly delayed the start of King's term until Dec. 1.

King, of Baltimore, treated patients at a clinic at the Walnut Street headquarters of District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers.

From 1999 to 2004, King charged Blue Cross for work he never performed. He billed for fictitious visits by "ghost patients," and he "upcoded" short, routine appointments, claiming they lasted an hour and involved more expensive treatments.

When auditors at Blue Cross became suspicious, King destroyed the medical records of 40 patients and reconstructed their files with fabricated gynecological histories. The FBI was asked to investigate, and in February 2008, King was indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

King was found guilty on Oct. 14 on 13 counts of mail fraud, 59 counts of health-care fraud, and 10 counts of making false statements in a health-care matter.

At his sentencing yesterday before Kelly, family and friends called King a devoted father, a mentor, and a generous man who had struggled out of poverty to become a well-regarded medical professional.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben painted a different picture, describing King as a man "motivated by nothing but greed" who had refused to accept responsibility for his crimes.

King's attorney, Robert W. Biddle, was successful in his appeal for leniency and a postponement of the jail term. Under federal sentencing guidelines, King could have received an 87-month prison term.

In explaining his decision to delay the start of King's prison term, Kelly said the experimental drug treatment program at Duke was "a unique opportunity."

"I don't want to interfere with it," Kelly said. "He is one of 200 chosen for the program, and I'm not about to take that away from him."

Kelly, who said King had led "an otherwise fine life," ordered him to pay restitution of $780,151, a fine of $12,500, and a special assessment of $8,200.