New Defendant Charged in Alleged Fraud on the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Department
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 26, 2013 |
PHILADELPHIA—Gerard Joseph, 36 years old, of La Jolla, California, is charged by indictment, unsealed today, with conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
Joseph was arrested last night.
Joseph was in the business of buying, renovating, and selling properties in the Philadelphia area.
According to the indictment, between 2007 and at least 2008, Joseph conspired with Richard Bell, charged separately, to purchase properties at Sheriff’s sale for 10 percent of the sale price. Joseph would pay the 10 percent deposit on the day of the sale and pay the remaining 90 percent within 30 days of the sale. Bell, who worked in the accounting department, would remove the 90 percent payment before it was deposited into the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office bank account, thereby allowing Joseph to buy the properties for 10 percent of the sale price. Joseph would then resell the properties at a profit and would pay Bell a fee.
Between April 2007 and November 2007, Joseph purchased approximately four properties at Sheriff’s sales through this fraudulent scheme, and, in June 2008, he resold two of them receiving the profit that should have gone to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office.
If convicted of all charges, Joseph faces a statutory maximum sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of up to $750,000, full restitution, and three years of supervised release. Bell pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and the City of Philadelphia Office of Inspector General. The City of Philadelphia Office of the Controller has also assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah L. Grieb and Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.
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May God bless you.
David I am sorry if I offend anyone here but this is my opinion. My dad told me "Scratch a cop, find a crook". I have always believed that. Maybe I do because I came from Chicago. Up until I was in my 30's if you ever got pulled over for speeding you handed your drivers license to the copper with a 20 and he gave it back to you and took off.
The biggest drug dealers were cops who kept the drugs they took and always kept the money on hand. I know this from the news papers.
There were, or are so many cops that are members of the Chicago outfit and do "heavy work" for the mob. That means murders. The chief of detectives of the whole city of Chicago William Hanhardt ran a jewel-theft ring for 20 years or more and went to jail. Two governors in jail at the same time and now Jesse Jackson Jr.
Let me ask you this. Has a cop ever helped you?
Sorry if I sound cynical but I am from Chicago.
Yes, Noah, a cop has helped me. My brother is a sheriff's deputy in Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana in New Orleans. He attended LSU on a baseball scholarship and joined the police department when he left college. He has nearly thirty years of service with the New Orleans Police Department. He saves lives and I love him very much. But I do agree that there are some very bad police officers who tarnish the badge. I've been victimized by them as well as others, but I forgive and also fully understand the pressure that they live with daily and I support the police in my community, and would defend the good officers among them. I know that Chicago can be very tough. The legends of Cicero are far and wide. I have cousins in Chicago.