Feds: Levittown Man Bilks City Of Philadelphia Of $400K+

Federal officials have charged a Levittown man with bilking the city of Philadelphia of nearly $433,000. 

Officials said William Rullo, 47, of Levittown, was indicted Monday with mail fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, where he worked between 1999 and 2010, by making illegal purchases. 

U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger and Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced the indictment Monday. 

Officials said Rullo’s job duties as a procurement technician 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. 

Investigators said 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 approximately $1,300 in SEPTA transit tokens, which he resold to a co-worker for between $650 and $750, telling the co-worker he had bought them at a discount. It is further alleged that between July 2008 and August 2009, Rullo forged signatures of first judicial district judges and the director of administrative services on invoices. 

According to the indictment, with those forged invoices Rullo was able to purchase items for his own use with First Judicial District funds – purchasing 36 plasma and LCD televisions totaling more than $65,000. 

Between December 1999 and March 2010, Rullo allegedly 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, according to the indictment.

Between July 2005 and March 2010, Rullo purchased approximately $35,000 in monthly parking passes which he then resold to friends and co-workers for approximately $100 per monthly pass, according to court documents.

In executing the fraud scheme, court documents show Rullo allegedly 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.

The FBI, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the First Judicial District and the Philadelphia Police Department worked in conjunction to investigate Rullo. Special Assistant United States Attorney William Inden is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Rullo faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and possible restitution to the First Judicial District.

Click to the right of this article to read the full indictment.