Timothy B. Riley, Conspiring to Launder Stolen Drug Proceeds, Pennsylvania 2014

HARRISBURG — A former narcotics agent who once hunted drug traffickers is now facing federal charges for helping to cover up the theft of $1.77 million in cash seized from a marijuana operation. Timothy B. Riley, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with conspiring to launder stolen drug proceeds — the very kind of crime he was sworn to stop.

Riley, who worked for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigations from 2008 to 2014, was assigned to the Mobile Street Crimes Unit until September 2014. According to court documents, on June 25, 2014, Riley was tipped off by an unindicted coconspirator about a rental truck carrying cash from a coast-to-coast marijuana trafficking ring moving through Pennsylvania. Riley and other officers intercepted the truck at a Carlisle truck stop and seized approximately $1,770,650 in cash.

But the seizure wasn’t the end of the story — it was the beginning of the cover-up. An investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation revealed that more than $800,000 had already been stolen from the truck by the driver and at least one other accomplice before law enforcement ever arrived. What followed was a calculated betrayal of duty: Riley allegedly accepted three cash payments from the unindicted coconspirators, totaling $48,000, knowing the funds were stolen proceeds from drug trafficking.

Instead of reporting the theft or turning over the money, Riley deposited the cash and conducted financial transactions to conceal its origin. The charges allege he actively participated in laundering the stolen funds — a direct violation of the public trust and federal law. His actions, prosecutors say, turned a law enforcement seizure into a criminal conspiracy.

“It is always a sad day for law enforcement when a person sworn to uphold the law is charged with violating it,” said United States Attorney David J. Freed. FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster added, “This defendant allegedly violated his sworn oath for financial gain — at the cost of his integrity, his career, and potentially, his freedom.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI out of Harrisburg, with full cooperation from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Acting IRS-CI Special Agent Ed Wirth emphasized that “offenders, no matter who they are, who choose to abuse the public trust will be held accountable.” Riley’s employment with the Attorney General’s Office ended in 2014 under a prior administration. Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who took office in 2017, reiterated his commitment to integrity, stating, “This incident… is in no way reflective of the hard-working men and women” currently serving in the office.

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