3 Bucks County Officials Charged With Conspiracy, Money Laundering
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --Three Bucks County officials have been indicted on money laundering charges by the US Attorney's office.
District Justice John Waltman of Trevose, Lower Southampton Director of Public Safety Robert Hoopes, and Bernard Rafferty of Langhorne are charged with conspiracy and money laundering.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen said these kind of cases are serious.
"When public officials engage in this kind of conduct, it is very serious," he said.
Waltman was a judge since 2011. Hoopes had authority over all police, fire and emergency operations in the township. And Rafferty was a deputy constable since 1998.
The indictment issued by the US Attorney's office says the trio conspired to launder funds from health care fraud, illegal drug trafficking and bank fraud, between June 2015 and November of this year.
The indictment also says the three laundered $400,000 between June and August of 2016, and collected $80,000 in money laundering fees.
If convicted, the three men could each face a maximum 80-years in prison and a one million dollar fine.
