Philadelphia police arrest men for fake L&I scheme
Philadelphia police have arrested two men in connection with a fake Licenses & Inspections scheme that bilked a Germantown property owner out of $10,000.
Brian K. Davis, 33, of Philadelphia and 57-year-old Rev. Richard Cobb of Brookhaven, Pa., face theft-related charges.
An investigation began when the owner of a property on the 5300-block of Wayne Avenue contested L&I fines saying he’d already paid them. Turns out Cobb, a pastor at St. Mark’s Baptist Church in South Philadelphia, had advised Davis to pose as an L&I inspector and solicit fines.
When contesting the fines, the property owner informed L&I he’d arranged through Cobb to make payments with a (supposed) L&I employee, “Brian.”
Philadelphia Inspector General Amy L. Kurland, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and District Attorney Seth Williams made the arrest announcement today. Both men have been released on bail until their June 8 preliminary hearing.
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