The Sheriff File https://phillysheriff.org/ A dated, sourced public record of the tenure of Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, 2020–present. Hearing on whether a special master should take over sheriff-sale deed processing https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-08-26-special-master-hearing/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-08-26-special-master-hearing/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sheriff Bilal was due to appear before Judge Paula Patrick to explain why the court should not appoint a special master over the office’s processing of… Court denies the sheriff’s motion to avoid testifying about sheriff sales https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-08-25-protective-order-denied/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-08-25-protective-order-denied/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sheriff Bilal moved for a protective order to avoid testifying at the special-master hearing. Her attorney argued that sheriff sales — one of the… The two officials hired in the office shake-up have each lost property at sheriff’s sale https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-06-18-new-hires-own-foreclosure-history/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-06-18-new-hires-own-foreclosure-history/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sheriff Bilal announced a reorganization of the office on June 8, 2026, aimed at reducing deed-processing delays, including a planned public “deed… Court orders an accounting of every sheriff sale since 2020; special master raised https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-05-13-judge-patrick-order/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-05-13-judge-patrick-order/ Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick, supervisor of the court’s commerce division, signed an order requiring Sheriff Bilal to submit a detailed… The undersheriff retires, effective the day of the court order https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-05-13-undersheriff-retires/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-05-13-undersheriff-retires/ Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Undersheriff Tariq El-Shabazz retired from his $200,000-a-year position effective May 13, 2026 — the same day Judge Patrick’s order was signed. The… $8 million in new fee-account spending includes $606,540 to the former campaign manager’s firm https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-05-08-eight-million-fee-account-spending/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-05-08-eight-million-fee-account-spending/ Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT The sheriff’s office made nearly $8 million in purchases from the “Operation Cost Payable” fee account between March 2024 and October 2025, according to… The sheriff tells Council that deed delays are resolved and sales are going “full blast” https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-04-28-full-blast-testimony/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-04-28-full-blast-testimony/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT At a City Council budget hearing on April 28, 2026, presenting a $19.3 million budget request, Sheriff Bilal testified that the deed-processing problems… The sheriff warns ICE agents, “You don’t want this smoke”; the police commissioner clarifies her role https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-01-10-ice-remarks/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2026-01-10-ice-remarks/ Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT At a news conference with District Attorney Larry Krasner, held in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis,… Fleet Services learns of the crash five months later, via a replacement-vehicle request https://phillysheriff.org/file/2025-01-15-fleet-services-five-months/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2025-01-15-fleet-services-five-months/ Wed, 15 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT City rules require crashes involving city-leased vehicles to be reported to the Department of Fleet Services. The Sheriff’s Office did not report the… A sheriff’s SUV runs a red light and is totaled; the driver leaves with a poodle; a “Jane Doe” reports it stolen https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-08-10-expedition-crash/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-08-10-expedition-crash/ Sat, 10 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT On the morning of August 10, 2024, a 2024 Ford Expedition assigned to the Sheriff’s Office ran a red light at 57th Street and Cedar Avenue in West… $3.2 million flowed into an off-budget account; $2 million in discretionary purchases tracked https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-04-22-operation-cost-payable/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-04-22-operation-cost-payable/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT An Inquirer analysis of 17 months of bank records, obtained through Right-to-Know requests, identified nearly $3.2 million flowing into a TD Bank… $35 million in uncollected tax revenue; “Give our sheriff a huge round of applause” https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-03-01-35-million-and-applause/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-03-01-35-million-and-applause/ Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT Tax sheriff sales — auctions of tax-delinquent properties, one of the office’s three core functions — had been paused for roughly three years following… Campaign website posted more than 30 news stories generated by ChatGPT https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-02-05-chatgpt-campaign-stories/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2024-02-05-chatgpt-campaign-stories/ Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT Sheriff Bilal’s campaign website listed dozens of news stories under the heading “Record of Accomplishments,” with purported publication dates,… “Deputy Sheriff Justice,” a $9,250 mascot, debuts at the Thanksgiving parade https://phillysheriff.org/file/2023-11-23-deputy-sheriff-justice/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2023-11-23-deputy-sheriff-justice/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT The Sheriff’s Office debuted a mascot, Deputy Sheriff Justice, at the Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 23, 2023. The office said the character was… Controller’s follow-up review: 185 firearms remain unaccounted for https://phillysheriff.org/file/2023-09-20-185-firearms-unaccounted/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2023-09-20-185-firearms-unaccounted/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT A follow-up review by the City Controller’s office concluded that 76 service firearms and 109 weapons surrendered under Protection From Abuse orders —… City Controller audit finds “serious internal control and compliance deficiencies” https://phillysheriff.org/file/2022-05-12-controller-audit/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2022-05-12-controller-audit/ Thu, 12 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart’s office released a performance audit of the Sheriff’s Office custodial accounts — the bank accounts holding proceeds… City pays about $465,000 to settle the whistleblower’s lawsuit https://phillysheriff.org/file/2021-06-01-mandel-settlement/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2021-06-01-mandel-settlement/ Tue, 01 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT In June 2021, the City of Philadelphia paid about $465,000 to settle Brett Mandel’s whistleblower lawsuit over his firing. The amount included $77,802… A six-year, no-bid contract for sheriff sales, without Law Department approval https://phillysheriff.org/file/2021-04-30-bid4assets-no-bid-contract/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2021-04-30-bid4assets-no-bid-contract/ Fri, 30 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT The Sheriff’s Office awarded a six-year contract to Bid4Assets, an online auction company, to run sheriff sales. There was no competitive bidding; the… First CFO is fired after about five weeks, says he refused “off-budget” payments https://phillysheriff.org/file/2020-03-11-cfo-fired-after-five-weeks/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2020-03-11-cfo-fired-after-five-weeks/ Wed, 11 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT Brett Mandel, a former deputy city controller, served as Sheriff Bilal’s first chief financial officer. He lasted about five weeks. Candidate Bilal, on primary night: “Scandal days are over” https://phillysheriff.org/file/2019-05-21-scandal-days-are-over/ https://phillysheriff.org/file/2019-05-21-scandal-days-are-over/ Tue, 21 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT On May 21, 2019, Rochelle Bilal defeated incumbent Sheriff Jewell Williams in the Democratic primary. Williams had been the subject of sexual harassment…