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Fmr. Liquor Enforcement Officer Gets 3 Yrs. for Extortion

A former Pennsylvania Liquor Enforcement officer has been sentenced to three years in prison for extorting money from owners of Bucks and Montgomery county bars and restaurants licensed by the state.

KYW's Tony Hanson reports the crime had a chilling effect on victims.

Prosecutor Arlene Fisk says Gina Marie Kepler used her position as a Liquor Enforcement officer to extort over $10,000 from the victims and she tried to disguise some of the demands as loans, gifts or sales.

"In one case, after she gave a violation notice to a bar, she took $1000 telling them it would help with their fine.

(Hanson) 'Make it go away, basically.'

(Fisk) "Right".

Fisk says the crimes undermined the victims' trust in all Liquor Enforcement officers, so they were reluctant to come forward to complain. And the judge observed such crimes corrode the social fabric in a profound way.

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