Judge, 2 law officers indicted in money laundering scheme

LOWER SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. (WPVI) -- A Bucks County judge and two law enforcement officers are facing serious charges after police say they were caught in a money laundering scheme.

Judge John Waltman, Lower Southampton Director of Public Safety Robert Hoopes, and constable Bernard Rafferty are accused of laundering $400,000 in cash.

The trio was snared in federal sting involving the IRS, FBI, and Homeland Security.

According to the criminal complaint, undercover officers and a cooperating witness confronted the men about cleaning proceeds from drug trafficking and health insurance fraud. They are accused of three money laundering transactions for fees totaling $80,000 in cash.

"What the undercovers did is bring cash to the defendants, and in return the defendants gave the undercovers a check for the money and fake invoices to make it look like the defendants were actually performing work for the undercovers," said First Asst. U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Rafferty had a consulting company called Raff Consulting. The men allegedly laundered the money through his business account at Philadelphia Federal Credit Union.

Prosecutors say Rafferty obtained bogus documents, invoices, consulting and real estate agreements with the intent to conceal the unlawful activities.

Waltman has been the presiding judge over the disturbing child sex abuse case involving Lee Kaplan and Daniel and Savilla Stoltzfus.

The couple is accused of gifting their children to Kaplan who allegedly sexually abused them and impregnated one child.

Hoopes, as the head of the Southampton Police, was also involved in the case.

The Judicial Conduct Board released a statement Friday saying it filed a petition to have Waltman suspended pending the outcome of the case. The men face up to 80 years behind bars if convicted.