City Court Employee Sentenced for Fraud Scheme That Bilked City Court of More Than $400,000

PHILADELPHIA—William Rullo, 47, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for a scheme to defraud the First Judicial District (“the district”) of Pennsylvania, where he was employed, between 1999 and 2010. Rullo pleaded guilty to mail fraud. He was using his position as a procurement technician in the Procurement Department of the District to make illegal purchases, such as flat screen televisions, for himself, his family, and his friends. His fraud scheme cost the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania approximately $433,000.

As a procurement technician, Rullo’s job duties included: placing orders with vendors, purchasing courtroom electronic and other goods for the district, using a district credit card to make purchases, and getting approval from a district judge or director of Administrative Services before submitting invoices to the Accounts Payable Department. Between January 2005 and March 2010, Rullo used his district credit card to make approximately $321,000 in purchases for his own benefit. Among those credit card purchases were thousands of dollars in SEPTA transit tokens that he resold to a co-worker for approximately half price, telling the co-worker he had bought them at a discount. Between July 2008 and August 2009, Rullo forged signatures of First Judicial District judges and the director of Administrative Services on invoices. With those forged invoices, Rullo was able to purchase items for his own use with First Judicial District funds. For example, Rullo purchased 36 plasma and LCD televisions totaling more than $65,000. Between December 1999 and March 2010, Rullo purchased monthly service for eight AT&T cell phones that he provided to his family and friends at a cost to the First Judicial District of approximately $12,000. Between July 2005 and March 2010, Rullo purchased approximately $35,000 in monthly parking passes that he then resold to friends and co-workers for approximately $100 per monthly pass.

For the purpose of executing the fraud scheme, Rullo caused a First Judicial District check, in the amount of $6,269, to be sent by U.S. Mail from the First Judicial District to Arch Electronics to pay for electronic equipment ordered by Rullo for his own personal use and benefit.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Stewart Dalzell ordered Rullo to pay restitution in the amount of $433,000, a $100 special assessment, and ordered three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the First Judicial District, and the Philadelphia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Inden.