Chesco Prison inmates charged with COVID-related benefits fraud
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that twelve Chester County Prison inmates and their accomplices were charged federally with fraudulently applying for and obtaining emergency unemployment benefits related to COVID-19. The defendants are charged with submitting false applications claiming that the prison inmates lost jobs as a result of...
Veteran Avondale trooper suspended without pay
Kelly Cruz faces federal indictment in long-running police-brutality case
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Trooper Kelly Cruz, a patrol supervisor in the Avondale barracks, has been suspended without pay following a federal indictment, a state police spokesman said.
Nearly four years after being accused of using excessive force during a drug bust, a veteran state police narcotics...
Third judge admits role in ticket-fixing case
Nine jurists, 3 others accused of subverting justice at Phila. Traffic Court
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
A third defendant pleaded guilty Wednesday in an alleged, Philadelphia ticket-fixing scheme that federal officials say ensnared nine jurists, including a West Chester magisterial district judge.
Fortunato N. Perri Sr., 76, of Philadelphia, a former senior Traffic Court judge,...
Nigeria resident admits role in Craigslist scam
He faces up to 80 years in prison after guilty plea to wire fraud
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Area police have repeatedly warned Craigslist sellers to be wary of a recurring scam: A prospective buyer deliberately overpays for items and instructs the sellers to refund the difference – before they realize the original check is counterfeit.
Now, perpetrators are receiving a...
