Sheriff’s Office worker, 3 others charged in $400k scam

A Philadelphia Sheriff's Office employee and three others were charged today in a scheme that federal prosecutors say bilked the city out of $400,000.

Richard Bell, an employee in the Sheriff's accounting department, orchestrated the scheme, prosecutors said, by writing bogus checks from 2007 to 2010 on the Sheriff's Office bank accounts.

Bell, 36, of Philadelphia, forwarded the checks to Robert Rogers, also of Philadelphia, according to court documents.

Rogers, 44, then cashed the checks made payable to himself and forwarded checks to others. Authorities said he personally forwarded $147,000 in checks made payable to a company connected to Reginald Berry and Jackiem Wright. Together, the group split the proceeds, according to the charging documents.

Prosecutors also accused Bell in assisting an unnamed person to fraudulently purchase sheriff's sale properties for only 10 percent of the bid price.

Bell, charged with wire fraud and filing a false federal income tax return, faces up to 41 months in prison if convicted. Rogers, charged with wire fraud, face up to 33 months in prison if found guilty.

Berry and Wright have been charged wire fraud and could get up to 21 months in prison.

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