Dispatchers Arrested

Two Philadelphia (Penn.) dispatchers have been arrested and charged with illegally accessing the state’s vehicle registration database, and then passing the information along to a person who they expected would rob the owners. U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan issued a statement announcing the arrest of Patricia Bradley, 35, and Tamara Mitchell, 38. They were arrested under federal extortion and aiding/abetting charges. The man to whom the information was passed was apparently an informant, and tipped off police. The women solicited money for the information, sources told reporters, and received $50 to $100 per name. Bradley was a dispatcher from March 2003 to Feb. 2006, when she was fired. Mitchell has been a dispatcher since 2001 and was still employed when she was arrested. Court documents said at least four vehicle registrations were accessed by the women, and passed along to the person the women believed was a robber.