Pat's Record

Law enforcement isn’t just about putting criminals behind bars. When people feel safe and secure in their communities, businesses thrive and prosper, jobs are created, and neighborhoods stabilize. When entrepreneurs with energy and new ideas are able to do business on a level playing field and can succeed based on their ability and initiative, we all win. Pat Meehan has spent his career as a prosecutor working not just to punish offenders but to protect and preserve the integrity of our communities, our businesses, and our resources. He has worked to change the kind corrupt political culture that stifles growth and investment. He has worked to change the environment in urban neighborhoods so small businesses can open their doors without fear. He has gone after corporate executives who tried to cheat investors. The list of convictions is long but Pat knew his job wasn’t finished when a case was closed. He knew victory for hard-working taxpayers would be achieved only when they felt free to pursue their goals and dreams. Pat knows true success, as a prosecutor or legislator, is seen only at street level.

PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY

Defending the Environment
As U.S. Attorney, Pat held manufacturers responsible for illegally and improperly discharging hazardous materials into the region’s waters. Pat’s office reached a $10 million settlement with a major pharmaceutical manufacturer over its plant’s release of dangerous chemicals into a Montgomery County waterway. In addition to taking steps to prevent future discharges, the company agreed to implement extensive measures to improve water quality in the creek, to create a 10-acre parcel of wetlands, and to create an early warning system to identify a potential threat to the creek and drinking water. Pat also reached a settlement with a municipality to overhaul its wastewater treatment facility, which had been discharging dangerous pollutants into the Schuylkill River. A consent decree filed in federal court required the city to commit to a multi-year plan to overhaul its wastewater collection system.

Dealing with a New Threat
On September 17, 2001, one week after being sworn in as U.S. Attorney, Pat established an Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council (ATAC), which brought together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies from throughout the region. As the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, Pat was responsible for coordinating specific anti-terrorism initiatives, initiating training programs, facilitating information sharing among law enforcement agencies, and coordinating international and domestic investigations with F.B.I. field offices. The formation of the ATAC led to large-scale table-top and field exercises to help prevent and prepare for biological attacks and threats to the food-supply. The Advisory Council Pat formed quickly became a national model for regional, anti-terrorism task forces.

Dismantling Gangs and Stopping Violence
Pat formed the “Route 222 Corridor Anti-Gang Initiative,” which secured federal funding to target and prosecute violent gangs and drug organizations in Northampton, Lehigh, Berks, Lancaster, Dauphin, and York Counties. It is the only regional, anti-gang initiative in the country. Pat reached out to county district attorneys, teamed up with the mayors of Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Reading and Lancaster, and even crossed jurisdictional boundaries into York and Harrisburg, to unite our communities in a common defense. With support from the county commissioners, this coalition jointly competed for federal grant money and was rewarded as one of only six sites in the nation to receive funding to initiate an anti-gang effort. Pat also teamed up with the local heads of other federal agencies, the Philadelphia Police, and the district attorney’s office to form working groups for each of the city’s police districts in an effort to quell violence in Philadelphia. As part of the federal program “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” Pat assigned Assistant U.S. Attorneys to each district to work on prosecuting violent offenders with criminal histories under the federal firearms statutes, which call for substantial prison terms upon conviction. Pat also developed a nationally recognized crime mapping program which helps law enforcement, federal and local, identify trends and patterns so that resources can be targeted to address problem areas. At least 130 homicides were solved directly because of the work of the law enforcement agencies involved in “Project Safe Neighborhoods.” Those homicides were solved because defendants who were facing lengthy prison sentences under the federal gun and drug laws chose to cooperate.

Defending Justice
Pat worked with federal judges and public defenders to address concerns about witness safety. What resulted was a new policy of sealing documents relating to cooperation and a revision of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s electronic filing policy so that Web sites dedicated to outing cooperators could no longer download court filings that revealed cooperation efforts. Pat went to extraordinary and unprecedented lengths to protect witnesses and to ensure that violent criminals were prosecuted. In one instance, Pat’s office subpoenaed an entire neighborhood to testify before the grand jury and even provided bus transportation for witnesses so they would have adequate cover and not be singled out.

Defending Neighborhoods
In 2002, long before the sub-prime mortgage crisis was making national headlines, Pat established a predatory lending group to protect consumers from unscrupulous lenders and contractors. Pat’s office identified vulnerable neighborhoods, prosecuted dozens of predatory lenders, and worked with community and legal agencies, along with financial institutions, to help victims get their money back. In one case in which the lenders targeted Hispanics in a home improvement scam, HUD and the U.S. Attorney's Office worked together, along with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Community Legal Services, and several private lawyers, to persuade banks to help more than 60 victims of an equity stripping scheme. Some lending institutions forgave the loans while others gave cash refunds so that the victims were able to finish the repairs on their homes.

PROTECTING YOUR MONEY & IDENTITY

Changing a Corrupt Culture
Skeptics said it couldn’t be done. In the words of an eventually convicted city official, “That’s the way it is.” But Pat refused to accept the status quo. As U.S. Attorney, Pat prosecuted and convicted dozens of corrupt public officials, political consultants and fundraisers. Philadelphia’s so-called “pay-to-play” political culture was fundamentally changed as a result. In fact, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has since hired three of Pat’s former prosecutors to help lead an ethics reform effort in city hall. Time and time again during Pat’s term in office, juries stated loudly and clearly that government is not for sale. Pat exposed “pay to play” as a crime that claims real victims, specifically honest, hard-working taxpayers. He recognized that when a city, township, or borough awards business based on any factors other than who is best qualified or what is in the best interest of the citizens, we are all being cheated.

Holding Healthcare Providers Accountable
Under Pat’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia became the national leader in prosecuting healthcare fraud. Using the federal False Claims Act as an enforcement tool in drug switching and kickback cases, Pat’s office recovered more than $1.3 billion for taxpayer-supported federal health insurance programs through settlements with drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers. Pat understood that taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid and Medicare, which were put in place to help the disadvantaged and elderly, must be protected. Throughout his tenure, his office used the False Claims Act to enforce the so-called “Best Price” requirement which the Medicaid rebate program mandates. Simply put, when Medicaid overpays manufacturers for the actual cost of purchasing drugs, the program suffers. His office also reached settlements with pharmacy benefit managers to resolve claims alleging the benefit managers were paying kickbacks to induce health plans to do business with them and for soliciting kickbacks from drug manufacturers to favor their drugs. Pat devoted significant time, energy and resources to these cases because millions of Medicare beneficiaries rely on pharmacy benefit managers for their prescription drugs. When deals are made to favor a certain drug, or to substitute or “switch” one drug for another, the medications patients receive are influenced, along with the price we all pay for prescription drugs.

Clamping Down on Corporate Fraud
Early in his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Pat was selected by the president as one of six U.S. Attorneys to serve on the President’s Corporate Fraud Task Force, the goal of which was to restore investor confidence following a wave of corporate scandals. Since its inception, the Task Force has convicted hundreds of CEOs and corporate officers on fraud violations. In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Pat charged numerous executives with securities fraud. Many of those cases involved corporate officers providing false and misleading information to investors in an effort to artificially inflate the value of stock. For example, Pat charged the CEO of an electronics company with issuing press releases claiming that his company had received a purchase order of more than $24 million from the Department of Homeland Security when, in fact, the company had never received any such order. Pat knew corporate officers who don’t play by the rules threaten to undermine the integrity of our financial markets and that the system becomes corrupted when investors are making decisions based on inaccurate, or worse, fabricated information.

Short-Circuiting Identity Theft
Pat took a multifaceted approach to identify theft. He reached out to the large institutions in his jurisdiction as U.S. Attorney to impress upon them that they must take better care of the data in their custody. His office offered training in better employee screening and data processing procedures, as well as computer security. Pat formed the Regional Identity Theft Working Group, a collection of local, state, and federal agencies committed to the investigation of identity theft. Information sharing in this group permits the exchange of valuable identity theft intelligence, allowing law enforcement to connect previously isolated incidents and to establish the pattern of an identity theft scheme. To make this exchange of information even more efficient, the Group created the first computerized law enforcement sharing network to enhance the real time exchange of victim and law enforcement information between local, state, and federal agencies. In July 2008, Pat announced the implementation of The National Identity Crime Law Enforcement system (NICLE). The system provides a central repository of stolen identity information, allowing law enforcement agencies to learn immediately whether a particular piece of identification, like a driver’s license or credit card, has been reported stolen or used elsewhere in the course of a crime anywhere in the United States. Pat prosecuted dozens of identity thieves, including a man who directed an accomplice to steal identities from her employer, the American Red Cross in Philadelphia. The victims were individuals who had participated in corporate blood drives in Philadelphia. The lead defendant in the case was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.

Fighting the Cyber Threat
Pat recognized that a new kind of crime and a new kind of criminal called for a creative solution. He used new investigative tools to target cyber criminals of various types, including those who ran illegal, worldwide Internet pharmacy operations and computer hackers who gained access to databases and personal information. For example, Pat prosecuted and convicted an MBA student who was moving hundreds of thousands of pills a day over the Internet and generating millions of dollars through a vast network of illegal pharmacy Web sites and a supply source in India. There was no visit to a doctor, no pharmacist to vouch for the integrity of the medication, and no prescription. The defendant was sentenced to thirty years. Pat’s office secured the conviction of a man who bypassed the password protection system of an on-line membership database and downloaded the information of more than 80,000 members. In another case, Pat’s office prosecuted a former senior developer and Web master for an international medical relief agency. The defendant created a hidden malicious code on the agency’s computer network known as a “Trojan Horse,” or “Trojan,” that enabled him to improperly access the agency’s network, even after he left the company. He used this Trojan to disable the Web site on December 26, 2004, during the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, and seriously disrupted the agency’s relief efforts. In each case, the hackers were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE

Ensuring Quality Care for Seniors
As U.S. Attorney, Pat prosecuted cases in which nursing facilities were understaffed, staff was not properly trained, and residents were poorly nourished and suffered from, among other things, bed sores, ulcers, and wounds that were not properly cared for. Pat also targeted providers for using chemical and physical restraints to keep patients quiet when there wasn’t enough staff to provide proper care. Pat understood that because the federal government funds a high percentage of the care given in nursing homes, residential treatment facilities, personal care homes, and hospice centers, it can demand changes to the delivery of care and utilize various legal tools and remedies. For example, Pat’s office reached a settlement with a Broomall, Delaware County nursing home to resolve allegations including failing to meet the nutritional needs of residents, failing to provide residents’ proper medication, failing to monitor weight loss, and inadequate prevention and treatment of wounds. As conditions of the settlement, the facility agreed to a three-year period of independent monitoring and to implementing a compliance program designed to improve the quality of life for residents.

Stopping Scam Artists Who Target Seniors
As U.S. Attorney, Pat prosecuted crooked telemarketers who scammed senior citizens out of their nest eggs. In one case, Pat filed suit against and shut down a payment processing center that accepted $142 million in unauthorized withdrawals from seniors’ accounts. The case triggered a nationwide change in banking practices to prevent such account withdrawals. Seniors are often easy targets for scam artists, especially crooked telemarketers. Policing the telemarketing industry has always been difficult, so Pat tried a new tack. His office followed the money trail and indentified choke points that could be squeezed to stifle fraud. What he discovered was revealing. In the world of fraudulent telemarketing, there are two fundamental pieces – consumer lists and remotely created checks. The lists are the lifeblood. They are traded and sold by companies that need only score a small percentage to make big profits. A telemarketer can request the bank account of an unsuspecting senior and submit the information to a payment processor. The processing center creates a check drawn on the victim’s account and no signature of the account holder is ever received. The real scam occurs when the solicitor seeks to have the withdrawal scheduled automatically for months. In this particular case, the payment processing center, which was using accounts at various big banks, accepted the unsigned checks from companies that made the unauthorized withdrawals.

Pursuing Predators of Children
As District Attorney, Pat obtained a federal grant to establish the nation’s first Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), which brought together federal, state, and local law enforcement agents in an effort to pursue on-line predators. As D.A. and as U.S. Attorney, Pat showed that geography need not be a deterrent to pursing sexual predators. Pat worked with law enforcement agencies throughout the world to bring a New Jersey man, who was traveling abroad to have sex with boys under the age of sixteen, to justice. During his term as U.S. Attorney, Pat’s office prosecuted dozens of child exploitation cases and defendants, most of whom never left Pennsylvania to possess or produce child pornography. In one well-publicized federal case in Delaware County, the lead defendant, convicted of manufacturing child pornography, had more than one million images of child pornography on his computer along with 11,000 video clips of him sexually abusing children. He was sentenced to 120 years imprisonment. Pat called the case “the most horrific” he had ever seen.

Finding New Ways to Deal with Domestic Violence
Shortly after Pat took office as D.A., a woman filed charges against her husband for domestic abuse. The victim later declined to testify and her husband was subsequently released from jail. He murdered her two days later. That case forever changed Pat’s approach to domestic violence cases. Pat and his team of prosecutors studied the Quincy model in Massachusetts and began building cases against abusers independent of victim testimony. The D.A.’s office began prosecuting domestic violence cases on behalf of the state. Reaching out to the community, Pat worked with the Domestic Abuse Project to train police on how to more thoroughly investigate and document domestic violence cases. Pat organized forums on domestic violence that brought together prosecutors, women’s advocates, health care professionals, and business leaders to implement new ideas to fight domestic violence and empower women. He also obtained funding for a coordinator for the Federal Violence Against Women project. As U.S. Attorney, Pat secured funding and partnered with Empire Beauty Schools to launch the “Cut it Out” initiative in the region. Domestic violence experts work with Empire students to teach them how to recognize the signs of domestic abuse. The theory is that stylists develop relationships with their clients to perform a kind of triage – that is to identify and diagnose the problem and then refer the client to a professional. In most cases, a victim will not be accompanied to the salon by her abuser and can talk about her situation in a safe environment. This partnership created a unique way to reach victims of domestic violence.

Making College Campuses Safer for Women
Pat saw the need to do more to protect women on college campuses. As U.S. Attorney, he worked directly with university presidents throughout Pennsylvania on how to train university personnel to prevent and report campus crime. According to a nationwide study by the National Institute of Justice, there are 35 sexual assaults for every 1000 women on college campuses. But fewer than five percent of those crimes are brought to the attention of law enforcement or campus officials. Pat believed such statistics highlight the importance of the Jeanne Clery Act, and how this federal law, which requires colleges to monitor crimes on campus, can awaken and inspire college communities to provide better protection and support for women on campus.

Giving At-Risk Youth a Second Chance
As D.A., Pat focused on protecting youth by expanding the “Youth Aid Panel” program for first time offenders and creating a truancy project to limit youth-related crime during the day. The panels represent an innovative and less expensive approach to dealing with first-time, low-level offenders. Instead of going to court, the youth faces a panel of community volunteers who recommend alternatives to traditional prosecution, like community service and counseling. As a condition of participation, the youth must admit to his/her offenses and be willing to meet with the panel and adhere to its recommendations. The offender enters into a contract with the panel and once the program is completed, the panel can recommend that no criminal record be kept. If the youth fails to complete the program or commits another offense, the case is returned to the police department. The program has about a 90% completion rate.

PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS

Helping American Service Members
Pat reached a settlement with a major insurance company to resolve allegations that the insurer deceived soldiers into buying life insurance policies with investment potential. In reality, most policies lapsed before any “savings” could be realized. As a condition of the settlement, the company agreed to a five-year ban from selling policies on military bases, one of the longest suspensions ever of a company that sells insurance to military personnel. The company agreed to pay more than $70 million, which included $10 million in cash refunds to service members who purchased polices after December 31, 1999. Also, as part of the settlement, the company agreed to stop selling this particular product, which featured a 20-year term policy with a “savings fund.” Soldiers were led to believe they could become millionaires if they signed up. Pat wanted to make sure the settlement prevented this and other companies from taking advantage of service members.

Stopping Illegal Sales of Military Equipment
Pat also wanted to make sure that vital life-saving equipment like body armor remained in possession of the military. Pat worked with the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service on an initiative called “Operation High Bidder,” which target illegal sales of bullet proof vests and other safety equipment over the Internet. The equipment was disappearing from military installations throughout the country and was winding up on sites like eBay where it could be sold to the highest bidder. Not only did the investigation and prosecution lead to more than 40 individual convictions, but it triggered a new system of checks and balances so the military would be able to prevent illegal sales in the future.

Stopping Sabotage
In May 2008, the Boeing plant in Delaware County had a saboteur in its midst. Again, Pat worked closely with the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service to find and prosecute a Boeing employee who sabotaged an Army helicopter by cutting a bundle of wires. The plant was closed while investigators interviewed employees and gathered evidence. The temporary shutdown cost Boeing more than $120,000. Within a week, Pat’s office charged a 33-year-old aircraft mechanic, who has since pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison. Pat knew these cases are about more than mere vandalism. Such acts can potentially threaten the safety of our men and women in uniform and must be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.

Recovering Stolen Valor
Men and women who serve bravely in our armed forces don’t win medals. A Purple Heart is not a prize. It’s an award, a recognition of distinguished service and of sacrifice, which must not be diminished by those who seek to glorify themselves by misrepresenting their records. Pat prosecuted numerous cases in which individuals were charged with wearing unauthorized medals and military decorations they never earned. Pat knew this was an affront to every soldier who attained such awards honorably. In one case, Pat charged an Upper Darby man with falsifying his military discharge certificate by adding awards, including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The defendant later pleaded guilty. When the case was charged, the Delaware County Daily Times interviewed a retired marine, who had legitimately received five Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. “I knew guys who were wounded or killed and should have gotten all those medals and never got them,” he said. “He dishonored people that really deserved the medals.” Pat wanted to make sure our highest honors are reserved for real heroes.