Desiree Peterkin-Bell, a former senior official in the Administration of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, has been charged with felony counts of conflict of interest, tampering with public records, and various counts of felony and misdemeanor theft offenses related to her misuse and misappropriation of taxpayer dollars while employed by the City of Philadelphia.
The charges stem from a presentment by the Forty-first Statewide Investigating Grand Jury following an investigation into Peterkin-Bell’s frequent, escalating use of two credit cards belonging to a city-related, non-profit organization known as the Fund for Philadelphia (the Fund) over the course of a three year period from early 2013 until late 2015.
According to the investigation, Peterkin-Bell illegally used $225,000 of public dollars designated for City services related to the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic bike race to satisfy multiple other debts which she incurred in relation to other City events and contracts. Attorney General Josh Shapiro stated, “This is a case of a high ranking public official – who was charged with the stewardship and safe-keeping of taxpayer money – using the resources of her office to enrich herself and abuse the public trust.”
Between January 2013 and December 2015, Peterkin-Bell made fraudulent charges on two credit cards issued to the Fund in excess of $20,000. The Grand Jury reviewed records indicating that Peterkin-Bell misused these two credit cards to pay for personal hotel stays, train tickets and flights to vacation destinations like the Waldorf Astoria Resort in Orlando, Florida, Newport News, Virginia, Brooklyn, New York, social events at the White House, and a wedding anniversary celebration in Portland, Oregon.
Peterkin-Bell also used the credit cards to pay for Uber rides for herself, her daughter and the family babysitter; restaurants, bar tabs and similar entertainment at places like Capital Grille, McCormick & Schmick’s, and The Palm; social and professional networking websites and memberships including a company through which you could purchase more Twitter followers; and clothing and accessories, namely from Macy’s Center City location.
As the Nutter Administration was winding down in late 2015, Peterkin-Bell planned a dinner party on December 28 to help launch her future consulting business. When reserving a dining room at a local hotel as the venue for this party, the Grand Jury heard testimony that Peterkin-Bell ordered staff at the Fund to supply the hotel with a credit card issued in the name of the Fund’s Executive Director. Ultimately, the party featured seventeen plated dinners, a wine menu, and a dedicated bartender, at a cost of $1,699.00 which was charged to the Fund.
The investigation and subsequent charges against Peterkin-Bell demonstrate the commitment of Attorney General Josh Shapiro to rooting out corruption and holding public officials accountable for their actions. As Shapiro stated, “My Office will go after this kind of corruption wherever we find it.” The people of Philadelphia expect and deserve better from their public officials, and it is the duty of law enforcement to ensure that those who abuse the public trust are brought to justice.
RELATED: Ex-Philly Official Cuffed in $225K Corruption Scam
Related Federal Cases
- 23andMe Faces Legal Fire for Genetic Data Sale · Washington
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
- 23andMe Faces Lawsuit for Selling Genetic Data · Washington
- Live Nation & Ticketmaster Face Antitrust Fight in NY · Washington
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: Pennsylvania AG
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption