Philly Cops Charged With Stealing $500K

A total of six Philadelphia cops were arrested Wednesday by federal authorities on a 26-count indictment that alleges that between 2006 and 2012 they stole more than $500,000 in cash, drugs, and personal property—and used extreme force to get it. Those who refused to pay up were allegedly hung over balconies, beaten, held in nasty hotel rooms for days, or threatened with the seizure of their homes. The charges also allege that they kept score over who could cause the worst injuries to victims. All six have faced multiple investigations over the years. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey on Wednesday said that the city’s contract with police officers was to blame—because it prevented him from transferring the officers when suspicions first emerged in 2005. All of the officers have entered not-guilty pleas.