40 Years of Corruption, Mismanagement, and Scandal in the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office

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40 years of corruption, mismanagement, and scandal in the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office

Since 2009, the Committee of Seventy has maintained that the City of Philadelphia does not need an independently elected Sheriff. Fourteen years later, the problems with having one have only become more clear.

Summary: Decades of Dysfunction With Little Hope for Progress

Dysfunction in the Sheriff’s Office is nothing new—it’s a longstanding cycle of failure passed down from one Sheriff to the next.  Recently the Sheriff’s Office functions and duties have come into focus as the office’s dysfunction has made headline after headline.  The editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer has called for the abolition of the office several times over the years. Their call in 2021 noted:

To go back to a time before the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office was consumed by scandal, you’d have to time-travel at least three decades. Ex-Sheriff John Green, the city’s longest-serving sheriff, is now in the midst of his five-year prison sentence for a bribery   scheme he led from the office. Green’s successor, Jewell Williams, who lost his reelection bid, has been credibly accused of sexual harassment multiple times — in lawsuits that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands in settlements. Now, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal is accused by three staffers of ignoring sexual harassment claims, asking employees to break the law, financial impropriety, and retaliation against employees who spoke up.

Over 40 years, the Sheriff’s Office has seen many of the same types of challenges and scandals repeat. Contracts are awarded to political allies. Programs are mismanaged. Lax staff oversight allows for corruption. Investigations are launched. People are charged with crimes. There are calls for reform. Candidates run for office promising change and then when elected, problems repeat or new problems emerge. The cycle continues. A cycle that undermines the public trust in our elected officials while denying Philadelphians the services they need.

Pennsylvania has granted Philadelphia significant authority when it comes to addressing Philadelphia’s Sheriff. Under state law, Philadelphia City Council has “full powers to legislate with respect to the election, appointment, compensation, organization, abolition, merger, consolidation, powers, functions and duties of the Sheriff.”[1] However, to make most changes to the office, City Council would need to pass legislation, which would then need to be signed into law by the Mayor. The legislation would only become effective once the public votes via ballot question. This means that City Council, the Mayor, and ultimately the voters are equipped to break the cycle of dysfunction and ensure that the functions and duties of the office are performed and executed in a transparent, efficient, and effective way.

Many entities, including the Committee of Seventy and the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board, have called for the elimination of the office over the years. There are several versions of what that could look like, including the mayor appointing an official or officials and fully integrating the duties of the office into City government or using the city budget process and City Council to rein in the office. Regardless of which path is taken, the functions of the office still need to be performed, and should be considered when discussing any alternatives.

How Things Are Supposed to Work

The Philadelphia Sheriff is an independently elected law enforcement official that serves four-year terms and is not subject to term limits. In Philadelphia, the primary responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office include:

• transporting prisoners;
• providing courtroom security;
• serving and executing writs and warrants;
• enforcing injunctions; and
• conducting real estate and personal property sales, as well as collecting and disbursing fees and funds related to these activities.[2]

The history of sheriffs in Pennsylvania dates back to before William Penn adopted his “Frame of Government”[3] in 1682. Under Article 9, Section 4 of the current Pennsylvania Constitution, each county within the Commonwealth has an elected Sheriff who serves a four-year term. In most Pennsylvania counties, this office traditionally served a law enforcement function. Article 9 exempts counties, such as Philadelphia, from the required county offices when they have adopted a Home Rule Charter. Therefore, under state law, Philadelphia is not required to have an elected sheriff.

Philadelphia officially consolidated city and county governments with the adoption of the 1951 Home Rule Charter. This action resulted in county positions, such as the Sheriff, the Treasurer, and other row offices, being absorbed into its municipal government. Because of this, Philadelphia has both a Police Department, which is led by an appointed Police Commissioner, and a Sheriff’s Office, which is led by an elected official. Over the years, most traditional law enforcement functions initially assigned to the Sheriff’s Office have been absorbed by the Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Office primarily serves as an arm of the courts. Additionally, because Philadelphia is a city of the first class under the state constitution and has its own Home Rule Charter, the city has the authority to make changes to the Sheriff’s Office.[4]

The Sheriff’s Office remains responsible for holding “Sheriff Sales” for tax delinquent properties — one of the office’s most significant and impactful duties.

According to the Sheriff’s Office’s website, “When the owner of a property located in the City of Philadelphia fails to make a payment arrangement on municipal debt levied on his/her property, that property may be sold at the Tax Sheriff Sale to allow the City to collect on that unpaid debt. These debts can include outstanding water and sewer bills, School District of Philadelphia taxes, and city property taxes. The sales also provide individuals the opportunity to bid on and become the owner of tax-delinquent properties, thereby acquiring lots, houses, and/or commercial and industrial buildings.”[5]

These sales are a critical enforcement tool, as they force property owners to come into compliance or risk losing their property. For example, a property developer might own a parcel in a Philadelphia neighborhood. Without the threat of a sheriff sale, the developer might choose to maintain ownership of the property without paying taxes or maintaining the property. This causes harm to the community as the city loses tax revenue which would be used for city services and the property sits vacant and possibly blighted in a community. It also encourages this type of behavior by bad actors.

Where Things Go Wrong

In a well-functioning system, the City’s Law Department would bring a lawsuit against the property owner to get them to pay their taxes. If they failed to comply, the Sheriff’s Office would sell the property to a new owner who would improve the parcel, and the City would be able to settle the tax debt with the revenue of the sales. The remainder of the funds after debts are settled is then turned over to the original property owner.

State Law has strict requirements regarding this process and the need to provide public notice about potential sales. The Sheriff’s Office is required to publish notice of Sheriff’s Sales in at least one major general interest newspaper as well as one legal publication.[6] In Philadelphia, this means that the Office spends millions of dollars annually purchasing advertising space in newspapers.[7]

These ads are often placed in politically connected community newspapers,[8] and consultants, who serve as intermediaries responsible for purchasing the ad space, make significant amounts of money on this process. The cost of the ads, along with the consultants who place them, are paid for through administrative fees paid to the office by property owners.

This process requires the office to manage significant amounts of funds internally through custodial accounts, where funds generated through sales and associated fees are held until they can be distributed to property owners and debt holders. These funds allow the office to have significant control over its operations without much oversight from the mayor or City Council. In 2011, the City Controller’s Office “expressed concerns about the potential for errors and irregularities with respect to millions of dollars in custodial funds held by the Sheriff’s Office. The City Controller found the Sheriff’s Office had poor control procedures which provided ‘ample opportunity to misappropriate and conceal a theft of funds.’ Based on the results of the audit and the Sheriff’s Office apparent intentional failure to cooperate with City auditors, the City Controller concluded that the Sheriff’s Office was ‘highly at risk for fraud.’” An audit conducted more than 10 years later showed that the Sheriff Office had made little progress in implementing financial controls to accurately account for the fee revenue it collects[9].

What Can Be Done?

While the Pennsylvania Constitution requires counties to have an elected sheriff, state law states that, “the Council of the City of Philadelphia shall have full powers to legislate with respect to the election, appointment, compensation, organization, abolition, merger, consolidation, powers, functions and duties of the Sheriff…” The most aggressive option is abolishing both the elected position and the office itself. Should the City choose to go this route, the Sheriff’s duties, resources, and staff, where appropriate, could be incorporated into other City departments, which would be a more effective and appropriate structure. As an example, duties related to public safety, such as warrant service, civil process service, prisoner transport and court security could fall under the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety or other law enforcement entity. The Sheriff Sale process could fall under the Finance Director, whose reporting departments are better equipped to conduct large financial transactions.  Such a dramatic change would require buy-in from the City–both the mayoral administration on an operational level and the rank-and-file employees that would be responsible for absorbing the Sheriff’s Office previous duties.

Alternatively, Philadelphia could adopt the approach of Northampton County. In the 1980’s, Northampton amended its County Charter to abolish the elected office of the Sheriff. Instead of fully eliminating the role, Section 1304(b)(3) of the Charter transfers the duties, functions and powers of the Sheriff to the County Executive or to his subordinate—essentially making the position one appointed by the County Executive (in Philadelphia, this would be the mayor). Having an appointed Sheriff should ensure greater accountability, as the position would report to the mayor without major structural changes to the functions of the office.

Either eliminating the office altogether or changing the Sheriff to an appointed position would require legislation. Philadelphia City Council also has less formal ways to hold the office accountable. Like all other City departments, the annual budget process requires the Sheriff to appear before Council to have its budget approved. Council can, and should, use this as an opportunity to obtain information from the Sheriff about ongoing challenges. While this has been attempted in the past, independent offices are not always as limited by this process. There are other indirect ways Council could use the budget process and other legislative action to manage the office, increasing transparency and efficiency in its operations.

Four Decades, Five Sheriffs, Unrelenting Problems

Ralph C. Passio III (1984-1987)

Before being elected Sheriff, Ralph C. Passio III, was state Senator Henry J. “Buddy” Cianfrani’s accountant.[10] During his tenure, there were multiple FBI investigations into operations in the Sheriff’s Office, and while he was never charged with a crime, the controversies surrounding his administration led Passio to not seek re-election in 1987.[11] Issues in the office led to calls to abolish the Sheriff’s Office during Ralph C. Passio III’s tenure.[12] 
 

• In 1986, city government officials called to abolish the office citing “misuse of funds, waste and a lack of common sense.” City Controller Joseph C. Vignola proposed having the Police Department take over transportation of prisoners, and having the city’s Law Department manage sheriff’s sales. Councilman John Street noted that the dysfunction in the office transcended Sheriff Passio’s administration.[13] Unfortunately, the proposal to abolish the Sheriff’s Office was unsuccessful.
• Passio’s Chief Deputy, Samuel Dowling, was investigated by the FBI for allowing real estate speculators to look at files of homeowners’ whose properties were in upcoming sheriff’s sales.  Passio fired Dowling, and he was never charged.[14] However, in 1989, the two real estate speculators involved were charged with one count of conspiracy and four counts of mail fraud for defrauding property owners of their proceeds from sheriff’s sales.[15] One of the men pleaded guilty, and testified against the other, who was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison in 1989.[16]
  • In July 1989, Dowling sued Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. (PNI) for defamation and invasion of privacy based on the Philadelphia Daily News’ reporting on Dowling’s involvement in the scheme to defraud property owners. The court threw out Dowling’s claim for libel and invasion of privacy at summary judgment, since they were barred by the statute of limitations for those claims. The court also entered summary judgment in favor of PNI on Dowling’s defamation claim as there was no evidence of falsity or actual malice on the part of PNI. Dowling appealed these rulings, but the court affirmed the findings noting that “Defendant’s appeal is totally without merit.”[17]
• The FBI found the Sheriff’s Inspector William Schwartz prepared about twenty fake auto repair vouchers for work that was not performed. These were allegedly used to hide payments for luxury items. Passio fired Schwartz after it was reported in the Philadelphia Daily News that Schwartz told the FBI that Passio was aware of his conduct.[18] 
• Passio was held in contempt of court and fined $500 following his deputies failing to bring a prisoner to court.[19]
• An audit of the Sheriff’s Office found $100,000 missing throughout a two-year period.  When the Chief Fiscal Officer at the Sheriff’s Office, William R. Jones Jr., was questioned and presented with evidence of altered receipts, he resigned his office.[20]
• Passio’s deputies traveled to Virginia to drop off a prisoner, but upon their arrival realized they did not bring the prisoner along with them.[21]
• In December 1987, allegations arose of Passio using his office to get free accommodations at Atlantic City casinos. The FBI began to investigate the allegations following complaints from Philadelphia police officers. Passio admitted to giving special-deputy badges, resembling the credentials of his actual deputies, to casino executives. After pressure from the FBI, Passio claimed to have “revoked” these credentials, but never actually confiscated them.[22]
• The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that throughout Passio’s tenure he hired “relatives and political allies.”[23] In 1986, Passio hired Anthony Crocetto as his chief deputy at the recommendation of Robert Rego, a Philadelphia political operative linked to organized crime.[24]  Passio hired his cousin, James Passio, as an assistant. James Passio attempted to run to be a Democratic committeeman, but withdrew his application after he learned it was a charter violation for appointed city employees to be active in partisan politics.[25]

John Green (1988-2010)

Sworn into office in 1988, John Green was the longest serving Sheriff in the history of Philadelphia. A former Philadelphia police officer, he was elected as a "reformer," running against the Democratic party establishment and vowed to end the corruption, favoritism, and incompetence that plagued the office.[26] He resigned from office in 2010 under a cloud of scandal and was sentenced to five years in prison.[27]

• Green worked with James R. Davis, the owner of multiple advertising and title firms, to advertise and run the office’s Sheriff Sales, often without written contracts. Between 2002 and 2010, Green’s office paid Davis $35 million to essentially run the sales and advertising operations for the Office. Due to lax oversight and intentional mismanagement, Davis' arrangement allowed him to inflate administrative costs and therefore collect money that should have been returned to property owners after a sale was conducted.
• Green is alleged to have received $675,000 as gifts and kickbacks related to his working relationship with Davis and his firms.
  • As part of their relationship, Davis paid for $210,000 of campaign expenses in support of Green’s 2007 reelection campaign, far exceeding the City’s campaign finance limit of $2,500. Much of this financial support, which was discovered by the FBI, was not disclosed, as required.
  • Davis bought and renovated a Philadelphia home for Green, selling it to him at a $39,000 loss. Davis also gave Green a no-interest loan of $285,000  for a retirement home near Orlando, Florida.
  • Davis hired Green’s wife for a position paying $89,000 annually that did not appear to have significant responsibilities[28]
  • Green hired Crystal Stewart and Darrell Stewart, the sister and brother-in-law of Davis, who both worked for Davis’ companies at the same time. In their positions with Davis’ firms, they were responsible for issuing payment requests and invoices from Davis’ firms to the Sheriff’s Office. In their roles with the Sheriff’s Office, they were responsible for approving and issuing payments to Davis’ companies. This arrangement is ripe for fraud and abuse, as there did not appear to be any additional oversight in the process.
• Under Green's leadership, more than $400,000 in fraudulent checks were written by Sheriff's Office employee Richard Bell.[29]  Bell issued checks to unauthorized individuals and companies that were drawn on bank accounts of the Sheriff's Office and then conspired with others to collect those funds. Additionally, Bell assisted in the fraudulent purchase of properties at Sheriff's sales.[30] Following charges, Bell was fired by Green's successor Barbara Deeley, and later pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return.[31]
• In 2011, the Office of the City Controller examined the work of Green’s administration and found that there was little to no oversight over the work of Davis and his firm, and "Sheriff Green did not enter into vendor contracts for some significant services; the contracts his Office did execute were apparently not in compliance with the terms of the Home Rule Charter"[32]
• Following a joint investigation between the FBI and the IRS, federal bribery and conspiracy charges were brought against Green and Davis.
  • In 2019 Davis was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison and was ordered to pay the IRS $870,000.[33]
  • In 2019, following Davis’s conviction, Green pleaded guilty to one federal charge and was sentenced to five years in prison.[34]

Barbara Deeley (2011-2012)

Barbara Deeley was appointed Acting Sheriff to replace John Green as Philadelphia Sheriff upon his resignation. She had previously worked for Sheriff Green in the Sheriff’s Office, as well as serving as his campaign manager. She did not run for a full term.

• In exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution, Deeley worked with federal prosecutors to testify against John Green during his trial.
• Deeley cooperated in the audit of the Sheriff’s Office conducted by the Office of the Controller. The audit report notes "According to interviews with members of the Sheriff’s Office, including the Acting Sheriff, one did not question or challenge Sheriff Green about his decisions or management of the Office out of fear of being terminated. We asked the Acting Sheriff and other senior Sheriff’s Office employees why they did not question the Sheriff about the involvement of Reach/RCS and James Davis, Jr. in the operations of the Sheriff’s Office. The Acting Sheriff’s answer, which was typical of the responses we received, was “at will” employees like herself, who did not have civil service protection, were concerned about losing their jobs if they challenged the Sheriff.”[35]
• Deeley was criticized by Green’s attorneys during his trial. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Green’s attorney “accused Davis of flying both Deeley and her eventual replacement, current Sheriff Jewell Williams, to Florida for a 2010 meeting. There, they allegedly coordinated with Green to stage-manage his departure from office while ensuring a line of succession that would protect Davis' business with the Sheriff's Office.” Upon being named Acting Sheriff, she ended the relationship with Davis and his firms and the Sheriff’s Office.[36]
• Deeley hired an outside accounting firm to review the office’s finances. The auditors discovered more than $56 million dollars spread across several bank accounts managed by the Sheriff’s Office. More than half the funds belonged to property owners who lost their property via sheriff sale and should have been returned to the property owners once the sales were completed. In a press conference, she pledged to turn the funds over to state and city authorities to ensure the funds were property accounted for and redistributed.[37]  

Jewell Williams (2012-2020)

Acting Sheriff Barbra Deeley was succeeded by Jewell Williams, a State Representative who ran for Sheriff on a platform of reform. Under his leadership, the Office expanded its operations and staff. He clashed with Mayors Nutter[38] and Kenney over budgetary and leadership issues. As a result of his actions while serving as sheriff, the city paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle sexual harassment suits. Additionally, prior to taking office, while serving as a state representative, he was accused of sexual harassment by a legislative aide which resulted in a settlement to the aid in June 2012.[39] The settlement was paid between the 2012 primary and general elections and was not covered by the press during the primary election campaign.

• In 2012 Williams sought to have his name printed on all 54 of the department's vehicles at the public's expense. Managing Director Rich Negrin, stopped the expense and called it “pure vanity.”[40]
• In 2016, Williams was accused of violating the City's gift policy by accepting a cash award as part of being named the "Public Servant of the Year" by newspaper, The Public Record. In 2016, Williams entered into a settlement with the City's Board of Ethics for the violation.[41] Williams paid a total of $1,500 to settle the matter.
• In 2017, the Inquirer reported that Williams was accused of sexual harassment by three employees in the Sheriff's Office, at least one of which was substantiated by the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations.[42] This resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlement payments by the City to the victims.[43] These reports culminated in Mayor Kenney and others calling for Williams' resignation.[44]
• During Williams' 2019 primary reelection campaign, he directed the office to use more than $30,000 in public funds on ads of his face and name on SEPTA buses and a one time “annual report” touting his work inserted into Daily News.[45]
• Federal prosecutors accused an administrator in the Sheriff’s Office’s real estate department of accepting payoffs ranging from cash-stuffed envelopes to a $200 bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue between 2015 and 2019. In return, the official gave advance notice of properties being sold and extra time to pay for properties bought.[46]

Rochelle Bilal (2020-present)

Rochelle Bilal ran for Philadelphia Sheriff in 2019 on a platform of overhauling a scandal-ridden office that for years had been plagued by allegations of financial impropriety and sexual harassment. She successfully beat incumbent Jewell Williams in the 2020 primary election and was subsequently successful in winning the general election. Prior to being elected, Bilal was a former police officer and head of the Guardian Civic League. Since being sworn in for her first term, the culture of mismanagement and scandal in the office has continued. Despite this, she was reelected in the 2023 Democratic Primary and subsequent General Election.

It should be noted that, following her success in the 2019 Democratic Primary Election, and before she took office, Bilal hosted a going away party for former Sheriff John Green before he was sent to prison for corrupt actions he undertook while serving as Sheriff. Bilal sought "generous donations" for Green.[47]

• Brett Mandel, a former Deputy City Controller and longtime anti-corruption activist, was hired by Bilal in 2020 to serve as her Chief Financial Officer. Mandel lasted just 5 weeks in this role and alleges he was terminated for refusing to make "off budget" payments ranging from parking tickets to six figure contracts with outside consultants. Mandel sought the opinion of the City’s Law Department regarding the legality of these payments and was terminated before the opinion was made available.[48] Following his termination, Mandel filed a whistle-blower lawsuit which was settled out of court for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• Sommer Miller, Bilal’s former undersheriff and chief legal officer, and Anitra Paris, a former human resources manager, each filed whistle-blower lawsuits in federal court,[49] resulting in the city settling the two cases for a combined $585,000.
  • According to Miller’s lawsuit, she notified Bilal of possible theft in the advertising department, overspending, extreme sexual harassment by the then-chief of staff, and unauthorized expenditures from the proceeds of sheriff’s sales. Miller claimed that as a result of the complaints, she was stripped of her responsibilities. She eventually resigned.[50]
  • Paris alleged she was terminated in August 2021 after refusing Bilal’s requests to hire employees without performing background checks or requiring them to take civil service exams. She also alleged that Bilal asked her to disclose employee medical information in violation of federal law and that she was sexually harassed by Bilal’s then-chief of staff, “almost immediately” upon starting the job.[51]
• In November 2020, the City Controller’s Office issued a report finding that the Sheriff's Office was unable to account for more than 200 firearms. The report emphasized that the Office lacked formal procedures regarding inventory management, had inadequate and incomplete record keeping, and its armory was disorganized and lacked policies and procedures.[52]
  • Following the issuance of the report, at a budget hearing before Philadelphia City Council, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said all but 20 of the weapons were accounted for and the rest were either located, had been disposed of, or were sold.[53]
  • The Controller's Office conducted a follow up review in 2023 and determined that 185 firearms remained unaccounted for, as the Sheriff's Office lacked sufficient evidence to back up claims that all but 20 were accounted for.
• As the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown began, the Sheriff's Office put a moratorium on the sale of homes via sheriff's sale. A year later, Bilal announced that her office was set to begin sales again via Maryland-based online auction house Bid4Assets. The six year, no-bid contract was not reviewed by the City's Law Department.[54] Undersheriff Curtis Douglas, who oversaw this process, retired a year into his job following the Bid4Assets scandal.[55]
  • In 2023, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported "Within months of the contract being awarded to Bid4Assets, Bilal’s former campaign manager and current spokesperson in the sheriff’s office, Teresa Lundy, began appearing as Bid4Assets’ media contact on its news releases about auctions in other jurisdictions[56].”
• Tariq El-Shabazz, who was hired as Bilal’s top legal adviser in 2021, appeared as a defense attorney for at least 10 clients in cases brought by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office while working in the office. This arrangement is alleged to violate Pennsylvania's Rules of Professional Conduct and could create a conflict of interest for El-Shabazz and the Sheriff’s Office. When confronted about this arrangement, Bilal's spokesperson said he was not representing clients in Philadelphia, despite records showing he was.[57]
• Following a 2022 budget increase of $1.5 million to aid recruitment and hire additional staff, Bilal sought to use nearly $1 million to increase the salary of herself and her executive staff, rather than hire additional deputies. Bilal sought to more than double her own salary, which would have made her the highest paid elected official in Philadelphia. Instead, her salary was increased by 5% due to a cap on salary increases for elected officials in the City Charter. Another $500,000 was used to increase pay for exempt executive staff, generally non-uniformed, non-union employees who are not hired through the civil service system.[58]
• In 2022, Deputy Sheriff Samir Ahmad was charged with firearms trafficking and selling firearms to a person unlawfully in the United States, arising from his sale of two semi-automatic pistols to a confidential FBI informant while he was employed in the Sheriff's Office.[59]
• In late 2022, Bilal spent more than $6,000 in public funds on a party at Chickie's & Pete’s. When questioned by the media, the office would not provide details on the purpose of this event or who attended it.[60]
• In May 2023, three longtime employees reported being questioned by the FBI regarding Bilal's hiring practices, spending, and her decision to stop using financial compliance software to track office spending.[61]
• The Sheriff's Office briefly resumed conducting sheriff sales in April 2021 under its unlawful contract with Bid4Assets and then shortly thereafter ceased all sales. By December 2023, no sales had been conducted in more than two and half years. During this time, the City followed the appropriate processes to have tax delinquent properties sold, however the Sheriff's Office failed to take action and conduct the sales, resulting in a backlog of more than 1,300 properties designated to be sold in 2023. City officials blamed the lack of sales for an increase in property tax delinquency, with the Philadelphia Inquirer noting "The city is now owed roughly $170 million in back taxes, an increase of nearly $40 million since 2019.[62]
• In February 2024, Bilal’s campaign website featured dozens of headlines from local media outfits praising the work of the Sheriff,[63] which it dubbed her "record of accomplishments." However, there were no records of these stories on the corresponding news outlet’s pages.  When confronted by the press about the fabricated praise, the campaign removed the fake stories.[64]
• Property owners who purchased homes through the Office’s mortgage foreclosure sales process reported that deed processing, which used to take weeks, began taking up to seven months[65]. When questioned by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Office initially claimed that the delay was caused by City’s Department of Records. When presented with evidence that this was not accurate, the Office eventually admitted it was a staffing error and pledged to correct it[66].
• In December 2024, following months of reports that court rooms lacked proper security and judges and the public were being put at risk, The Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District, a panel of judges that oversees Philadelphia court operations, filed a court order demanding that the Sheriff, who is responsible for courthouse security, develop and implement a plan to ensure court rooms are secure and prisoners are transported on time. In addition to the serious safety concerns noted by the Court, delays in transporting prisoners have also caused delays and postponements in criminal proceedings, raising civil rights concerns[67].
  • A week before the court-imposed deadline and in an attempt to comply with the order and ensure courthouses had appropriate security staffing, sheriff’s deputies were removed from their posts securing the city’s The Adult Probation and Parole Department. This led to the closure of this facility to the public, requiring probationers to check in with their probation officers virtually, rather than in person[68].
  • Following the closure of the Adult Probation and Parole Department, the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District issued a second order to Bilal for her failure to adequately comply with their first order, saying Bilal had not done enough to address the deputy shortage, resulting in “direct harm to the proper functioning and safe operation and administration of the courts.[69]”
  • While these issues remained unresolved, a fundraising email sent on behalf of Bilal’s campaign blamed the Court itself for the ongoing issues at the courthouses, writing “The very people demanding more security protection are the ones creating the hostile environment in the first place,”
• In June 2024, Philadelphia passed a new law making it easier for the City’s Land Bank to purchase parcels of land used as community gardens via sheriff’s sale. The law is designed to ensure these community assets remain intact and protected from developers. In the nine months since its passage, the Land Bank has been unable to make any such purchases due to “operational issues” within the Office of the Sheriff[70].

Conclusion

Seventy maintains its position from 2009 that there is no need for an independently elected Sheriff in Philadelphia. We strongly encourage City Council and the Mayor to take action to address these problems once and for all.

The sheer volume of scandals associated with this office can be disorienting and lead to scandal fatigue, but it is important to understand the scale of the problem to find solutions. The current situation is not serving the City. Tax dollars are under-collected and improperly used. The continuous reporting about bad acts by the office undermines the public’s trust. Real people are being harmed, and change is needed.

There is a long history of corruption and mismanagement in Philadelphia’s Sheriff’s Office. Our city deserves better and action must be taken to prevent this cycle of corruption from continuing.

[1] 53 P.S. § 13132(c).

[2] Forensic Investigation Report, City of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Office of the Controller, (2011), 7-8 https://controller.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CityController_ForensicReport_October2011(full).pdf.

[3] Penn, William, Frame of Government of Pennsylvania, May 5, 1682

[4] 53 P.S. § 13132(c).

[5] Overview of the Sheriff’s Sale Process, Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office, https://phillysheriff.com/real-estate/how-sheriffs-sales-work-overview-of-the-sheriff-sale-process/ (last visited Apr. 10, 2024).

[6] Pa. R.C.P. 3129.2(c)(3)

[7] Max Marin & Ryan Briggs, Retribution? Jewell Williams might pull sheriff sale ads from newspapers after primary defeat, WHYY, (June 13, 2019), https://whyy.org/articles/retribution-jewell-williams-might-pull-sheriff-sale-ads-from-newspapers-after-primary-defeat/.

[8] Craig R. McRoy & Jeremy Roebuck, Sheriff sale ads: A bonanza for the politically connected in Philly, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Apr. 27, 2018), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/breaking/sheriff-sale-ads-philadelphia-newspapers-foreclosure-democratic-party-20180427.html.

[9] Performance Audit of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office Custodial Accounts, City Controller of the City of Philadelphia, (May 12, 2022), https://controller.phila.gov/philadelphia-reports/performance-audit-of-the-philadelphia-sheriffs-office-custodial-accounts/

[10] Ryan W. Briggs & William Bender, With Each New Sheriff, Same Old Problems, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Mar. 19, 2024), https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/inq2/philadelphia-sheriff-office-dysfunction-history-20240319.html; Robert Moran, Cop, reformer, sheriff, defendant: John Green’s rise and fall, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Dec. 18, 2015), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/20151219_Cop__reformer__sheriff__defendant__John_Green_s_rise_and_fall.html.

[11] Ryan W. Briggs & William Bender, With Each New Sheriff, Same Old Problems, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Mar. 19, 2024), https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/inq2/philadelphia-sheriff-office-dysfunction-history-20240319.html; Jim Smith & Marianne Constantinou, 2 Indicted in Sheriff’s Sales Cases, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (Mar. 1, 1989), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB29C2C8E047D17?search_terms=Samuel%2Bdowling&text=Samuel%20dowling&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1989-03-01.

[12] Tyree Johnson, Controller and Councilman Want Office Abolished, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (Mar. 19, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB2987CAEFBD969?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&page=2&pdate=1986-03-19.

[13] Id.; See also Robert Moran, Cop, reformer, sheriff, defendant: John Green’s rise and fall, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Dec. 18, 2015), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/20151219_Cop__reformer__sheriff__defendant__John_Green_s_rise_and_fall.html.

[14] Tyree Johnson, Passio Allegedly Knew Of Rip-Off, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (May 9, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB298A5E352B94C?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1986-05-09.

[15] United States v. Risco, 1989 WL 100934, 1.

[16] Dowling v. Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. 1989 WL 1176740 (Pa.Comm.Pl.) (Trial Pleading).

[17] Id.

[18] Tyree Johnson, Passio Allegedly Knew Of Rip-Off, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (May 9, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB298A5E352B94C?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1986-05-09; Vince Kasper, Passio Fires Aide Who Spoke to FBI, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (May 10, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB298A7324F565E?search_terms=William%2BSchwartz%2Bsheriff&text=William%20Schwartz%20sheriff&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1986-05-10.

[19] David Racher, Sheriff Fined for Contempt Angry Judge, Jury Were Kept Waiting By 3 of Passio’s Deputies, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (Sept. 20, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB29907E932B684?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1986-09-20.

[20] Tyree Johnson, 100G Missing, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (Dec. 22, 1987), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB29ADA03A5E5A4?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&page=3&pdate=1987-12-22 .

[21] Id.

[22] Tyree Johnson, Sheriff Probed in Ties to Casinos Queries Center on Free Services, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (Dec. 29, 1987), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB29ADDAE1F30B0?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1987-12-29.

[23] Ryan W. Briggs & William Bender, With Each New Sheriff, Same Old Problems, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Mar. 19, 2024), https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/inq2/philadelphia-sheriff-office-dysfunction-history-20240319.html.

[24] Tyree Johnson, Sheriff Passio Gets Request for ‘Cha Cha,’ Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (May 20, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB298AE2F5438B3?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII%2Bpatronage&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III%20patronage&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1986-05-20.

[25] Tyree Johnson, Sheriff Deputy’s Merits Relative, Philadelphia Daily News (PA), (Mar. 20, 1986), https://inquirer.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB2987D99D135F2?search_terms=Ralph%2BC.%2BPassio%2BIII%2Bpatronage&text=Ralph%20C.%20Passio%20III%20patronage&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=PDNB&pdate=1986-03-20.

[26] Craig McCoy, Longest-serving Philly sheriff is sentenced to 5 years in prison for $675K bribery scheme, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Aug. 1, 2019), https://www.inquirer.com/news/sheriff-john-green-sentence-bribes-philadelphia--20190801.html.

[27] Former Philadelphia Sheriff John Green Sentenced to Five Years in Prison, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Aug. 1, 2019), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/former-philadelphia-sheriff-john-green-sentenced-five-years-prison#:~:text=For%20Immediate%20Release&text=McSwain%20announced%20that%20former%20Philadelphia,District%20Court%20Judge%20Wendy%20Beetlestone.

[28] Philadelphia Business Man Sentenced to Prison for Honest Services Fraud, Tax Crimes, and Conspiracy, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Mar. 1, 2019), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/philadelphia-business-man-sentenced-prison-honest-services-fraud-tax-crimes-and-0.

[29] Michael Hinkelman, 1 fired, 3 others charged in alleged fraud within Sheriff’s Office, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Dec. 11, 2011), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/hp/news_update/20111201_1_fired__3_others_charged_in_alleged_fraud_within_Sheriff_s_Office.html.

[30] Former City Sheriff’s Department Employee Pleads Guilty in Fraud Scheme, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Jan. 17, 2012), https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/philadelphia/press-releases/2012/former-city-sheriffs-department-employee-pleads-guilty-in-fraud-scheme.

[31] Michael Hinkelman, 1 fired, 3 others charged in alleged fraud within Sheriff’s Office, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Dec. 11, 2011), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/hp/news_update/20111201_1_fired__3_others_charged_in_alleged_fraud_within_Sheriff_s_Office.html; Former City Sheriff’s Department Employee Pleads Guilty in Fraud Scheme, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Jan. 17, 2012), https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/philadelphia/press-releases/2012/former-city-sheriffs-department-employee-pleads-guilty-in-fraud-scheme.

[32] Forensic Investigation Report, City of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Office of the Controller, (2011), 14 https://controller.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CityController_ForensicReport_October2011(full).pdf.

[33] Philadelphia Business Man Sentenced to Prison for Honest Services Fraud, Tax Crimes, and Conspiracy, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Mar. 1, 2019), https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/philadelphia-business-man-sentenced-more-10-years-prison-bribing-former-sheriff-philadelphia.

[34]  Former Philadelphia Sheriff John Green Sentenced to Five Years in Prison, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Aug. 1, 2019), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/former-philadelphia-sheriff-john-green-sentenced-five-years-prison.

[35]  Forensic Investigation Report, City of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Office of the Controller, (2011), 16 https://controller.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CityController_ForensicReport_October2011(full).pdf.

[36] Jeremy Roebuck, Ex-Philly Sheriff John Green's bribery trial opens with attack on his successor, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 20, 2018), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/ex-philly-sheriff-john-greens-bribery-trial-opens-with-attack-on-his-successor-20180220.html.

[37] William Bender, Sheriff’s buried bounty: $56M, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Oct. 14, 2011), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/hp/news_update/20111014_BURIED_BOUNTY___56M.html; William Bender, ‘Where is the money?’ Ex-homeowners seeking leftover funds from sheriff’s sales are being stonewalled., The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Nov. 2, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/sheriff-sale-philadelphia-funds-unclaimed-20231102.html.

[38] Jan Ransom, So, Sheriff's budget proposal does not include new SUV..., The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Apr. 26, 2012), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/clout/So-Sheriffs-budget-proposal-does-not-include-new-SUV.html.

[39] Mensah M. Dean, Mayor Kenney: Sheriff Jewell Williams should step down amid claims of sexual harassment, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Nov. 16, 2017), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/mayor-kenney-sheriff-jewell-williams-should-step-down-amid-claims-of-sexual-harassment-20171116.html.

[40] Jan Ransom, So, Sheriff's budget proposal does not include new SUV..., The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Apr. 26, 2012), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/clout/So-Sheriffs-budget-proposal-does-not-include-new-SUV.html.

[41] Settlement Agreement, The Board of Ethics of the City of Philadelphia, (Sept. 21, 2016), https://www.phila.gov/ethicsboard/Settlement%20Agreements/SettlementAgreement_JewellWilliams_approvedbyBoard_9.21.16.pdf.

[42] Mensah M. Dean, City settles lawsuit accusing Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams of sexual harassment, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Jan. 23, 2019), https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-sheriff-jewell-williams-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-settled-20190124.html.

[43] Claudia Vargas, So, Rochelle Bilal wins primary election for Philadelphia sheriff in upset of Jewell Williams, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (May 22, 2019), https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-jewell-upset-jewel-williams-sheriff-election-primary-2019-20190522.html.

[44] Mensah M. Dean, Mayor Kenney: Sheriff Jewell Williams should step down amid claims of sexual harassment, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Nov. 16, 2017), https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/mayor-kenney-sheriff-jewell-williams-should-step-down-amid-claims-of-sexual-harassment-20171116.html.

[45] Chris Brennan & Laura McCrystal, Sheriff Jewell Williams is getting his face out there and the city controller wants to see the receipts, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Mar. 15, 2019),   https://www.inquirer.com/politics/clout/philadelphia-sheriff-jewell-williams-soda-tax-local-dougherty-20190315.html.

[46] Mark Fazlollah & Jeremy Roebuck, Feds accused unnamed Philly Sheriff's Office official of accepting bribes, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (May 17, 2019),   https://www.inquirer.com/news/sheriff-sale-philadelphia-bribe-michael-riverso-jewell-williams-20190517.html.

[47] Chris Brennan, Philly's next sheriff is throwing a party for a former sheriff before he goes to prison, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Sept. 20, 2019), https://www.inquirer.com/politics/clout/rochelle-bilal-john-green-philadelphia-sheriff-corruption-federal-prison-mayor-kenney-20190920.html.

[48] Chris Brennan, An aide to Philly's new sheriff says he questioned 'slush fund' spending - and she fired him, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Mar. 3, 2020),  https://www.inquirer.com/politics/philadelphia/philadelphia-sheriff-rochelle-bilal-fires-brett-mandel-20200303.html.

[49] William Bender, Three top staffers accuse Sheriff Rochelle Bilal of abuse and retaliation in recent lawsuits, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 24, 2021), https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-philadelphia-sheriff-whistleblower-lawsuits-20210224.html.

[50] William Bender, Three top staffers accuse Sheriff Rochelle Bilal of abuse and retaliation in recent lawsuits, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 24, 2021), https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-philadelphia-sheriff-whistleblower-lawsuits-20210224.html.

[51] William Bender, Three top staffers accuse Sheriff Rochelle Bilal of abuse and retaliation in recent lawsuits, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 24, 2021), https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-philadelphia-sheriff-whistleblower-lawsuits-20210224.html.

[52] Rebecca Rhynhart, Investigation and Review of the Sheriff's Office Gun Inventory, Office of the Controller, The City of Philadelphia, (Nov. 18, 2020), https://controller.phila.gov/philadelphia-audits/investigation-and-review-of-the-sheriffs-office-gun-inventory/.

[53] Anna Orso, The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office can't account for nearly 200 guns, city controller says, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Sept. 20, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/philadelphia-sheriff-missing-guns-20230920.html.

[54] Ryan Briggs, Philly's online sheriff sale contract violated city charter, WHYY, (Apr. 30, 2021), https://whyy.org/articles/phillys-online-sheriff-sale-contract-violated-city-charter/.

[55] Ryan Briggs, Philly Sheriff's top lawyer resigns after illegal contract revelation, The Philadelphia Tribune, (May 7, 2021),  https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/philly-sheriff-s-top-lawyer-resigns-after-illegal-contract-revelation/article_77c64abd-a552-58ed-94ac-f9440544b59d.html.

[56] William Bender & Ryan W. Briggs, Philly's sheriff hasn't held a tax sale in years. The city says it's costing them millions., The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Sept. 20, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/news/sheriffs-office-tax-sales-bid4assets-20231224.html.

[57] Ryan W. Briggs & William Bender, Philly sheriff's top legal adviser has been moonlighting as a criminal defense lawyer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 2, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/news/tariq-el-shabaaz-philadelphia-sheriff-law-practice-20230202.html#:~:text=While%20serving%20as%20undersheriff%2C%20El,likely%20violating%20city%20ethics%20rules.

[58] Ryan W. Briggs & William Bender, Philly sheriff used money meant to hire deputies for executive raises, tried to double her salary to $285K., The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Apr. 11, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-philadelphia-sheriff-budget-funding-raise-20230411.html.

[59] Former Philadelphia Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested and Charged With Trafficking Firearms, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, (Oct. 27, 2022), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/former-philadelphia-sheriff-s-deputy-arrested-and-charged-trafficking-firearms.

[60] Chris Brennan, Philly Sheriff Rochelle Bilal doesn't want to discuss her $6,662 party at Chickie's & Pete's, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 3, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/politics/clout/sheriff-rochelle-bilal-party-public-money-chickies-petes-20230203.html.

[61] Ernest Owens, FBI Questioned Us About Philly Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, Staffers Say, Philadelphia Magazine, (May 12, 2023),  https://www.phillymag.com/news/2023/05/12/sheriff-rochelle-bilal-fbi/.

[62] William Bender & Ryan W. Briggs, Philly's sheriff hasn't held a tax sale in years. The city says it's costing them millions., The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Sept. 20, 2023), https://www.inquirer.com/news/sheriffs-office-tax-sales-bid4assets-20231224.html.

[63] William Bender, Philly's Did Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal's campaign make up dozens of false news stories?, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Feb. 5, 2024), https://www.inquirer.com/news/rochelle-bilal-sheriff-campaign-news-20240205.html.

[64] Maryclaire Dale, Ali Swenson, & David Chang, Philly Sheriff's Office takes down fake AI-generated 'news' headlines, NBC 10 Philadelphia, (Feb. 6, 2024), https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-sheriffs-office-takes-down-fake-ai-generated-news-headlines/3767822/.

[65] https://www.inquirer.com/news/sheriff-sales-philadelphia-deed-records-wait-times-rochelle-bilal-20240702.html

[66] https://www.inquirer.com/news/sheriff-rochelle-bilal-deed-delays-error-20240727.html

[67] https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/sheriff-courthouse-security-judges-order-rochelle-bilal-20241209.html

[68]https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-sheriff-deputy-shortage-virtual-probations-bilal-20250304.html?query=bilal

[69] https://www.inquirer.com/news/philly-sheriff-rochelle-bilal-court-order-security-judges-20250311.html?query=bilal

[70]https://www.inquirer.com/news/land-bank-sheriff-gardens-housing-problems-priority-bid-20250310.html?query=bilal