Florida Aviation Medical Examiner Pleads Guilty for Fraudulently Certifying Pilots
On July 1, 2019, Robert Kurrle, Port Orange, Florida, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Orlando, Florida, to falsely certifying thousands of commercial and private pilot examinations. The plea was made subsequent to a plea agreement; sentencing is set for September 2019.
The investigation revealed that between January 1, 2017, and February 28, 2019, Kurrle performed approximately 3,814 airman medical examinations, earning an estimated $523,740 in fees. He admitted that approximately 75 percent of his examinations were fraudulent and agreed to forfeit 75 percent of his earnings, a total of $392,805. He agreed to pay $48,818.45 to reimburse FAA for the costs associated with retesting pilots.
Kurrle also issued medical certificates to airmen who did not pass material portions of their medical examinations. He then transmitted the fraudulent results to FAA, which relied on those results to determine whether the airmen could operate aircraft safely.
DOT-OIG and the FBI conducted this investigation with substantial assistance from FAA’s Aeromedical Division.