Westchester Bus Company Owner Charged With Stealing Thousands

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- A 60-year-old Armonk resident was arraigned Monday on two felonies for allegedly stealing more than $280,000 from the City of Yonkers for bus services to the Nepperan Community Center that were never provided for almost two years.

William Ahearn was charged with defrauding the City of Yonkers through his bus company.
Photo Credit: *Westchester County District Attorney's Office*

Sam Barron

06/07/2016 6:00 a.m.

William Ahearn, owner of Yonkers-based A Plus Transportation, was charged with grand larcency and rewarding official misconduct, a Class E felony

Ahearn and Anna Sollozzo, transportation supervisor for the Yonkers Board of Education, created a phantom bus route by invoicing the Board of Education for bus pickups at the Nepperhan Community Center, when in fact no buses were ever dispatched, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

Ahern then would submit false invoices for the services that were never provided. Sollozzo would knowingly approve these invoices for payment, notwithstanding the fact that these services were never provided, according to the DA's Office.

During this same time period, Ahern secretly deposited $107,250 into Sollozzo’s personal bank account. A Plus Transportation had contracts for bus services with the City of Yonkers totaling approximately $2,805,612 between Sept. 2012 and Feb. 2014, according to the DA's Office.

Ahearn faces between three and 15 years in prison. Bail was set at $25,000. Ahern is due back in court Tuesday.

Sollozzo has already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two to six years in state prison for her role.

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