FBI agents invented defendant's identity to catch Philly judge they suspected of corruption

Published January 08, 2015

To catch a Philadelphia municipal judge they suspected of corruption, FBI agents invented a defendant.

Court documents in Judge Joseph Waters Jr.'s guilty plea last week to federal mail and wire fraud charges say agents staged the arrest of a man with a fake identity as part of the sting.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (http://bit.ly/1votQwe) an unnamed campaign donor asked Waters to help the bogus defendant. He had been charged with illegally carrying an unloaded pistol during a 2012 traffic stop.

Waters then called a fellow judge who was scheduled to hear the case. According to Waters' plea document, he identified the defendant as a friend and asked for the judge's help.

The Inquirer reports that prosecutors and defense lawyers who worked on the case weren't in on the secret.

___

Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-agents-invented-defendants-identity-to-catch-philly-judge-they-suspected-of-corruption