Philly Traffic Court judge charged with fraud to be suspended [updated]

    Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge Robert Mulgrew has been charged with fraud, along with Pennsylvania legislative aide Lorraine Dispaldo. The pair, and Mulgrew’s wife, are also accused of filing false tax returns.

    After being arrested this morning, Mulgrew and Dispaldo were charged with a scheme in which they allegedly “fraudulently received and misused Pennsylvania state grant funds awarded to non-profit groups,” accoring to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, and for misrepresenting their use of funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development between 1996 and 2008.

    Update, 2:20 p.m., Sept. 14 The Supreme Court has issued an emergency order to allow Traffic Court Administrative Judge Glazer to suspend Mulgrew, according to First Judicial District spokesman Frank Keel. Mulgrew will be suspended from “all official duties and assignments in Philadelphia Traffic Court until further notice.”

    Mulgrew and his wife are charged with five counts of filing false joint personal income tax returns for tax years 2006 through 2010, one count of tax evasion for 2005, and obstructing the administration of the internal revenue laws, while Dispaldo faces four counts of filing false personal income tax returns for tax years 2006 through 2009, and one count of bankruptcy fraud.

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    Mulgrew and Dispaldo, an aide to Pa. Rep. Bill Keller, were both investigated in 2010 as part of a probe into Keller’s campaign spending.

     

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