Former Bucks Co. Employee Charged In Extortion Scheme

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A former Bucks County employee and her boyfriend are facing felony charges after the District Attorney said they used official county letterhead to extort a local resident over a $157 debt.

Lynn Robin Owens, 63, worked in the Bucks County Office of Jury Selection Commission. Prosecutors allege she sent a certified letter to a woman who apparently owed her boyfriend money using letterhead of the Jury Selection Commission, which bears the names of county President Judge Wallace H. Bateman, county Court Administrator Stephen Heckman and Jury Selection Commissioner Patricia Kloenne.

The letter, signed by her boyfriend, 67-year-old Steven Wolfe, requested prompt payment to him of $157 for contracting work at her home. The letter threatened “legal remediation” if she didn't pay.

When the woman called the Jury Selection Commission office to inquire about the letter, a woman identifying herself as “Lynn” answered and said she believed “Steve” had sent her a letter. Lynn terminated the call after the woman asked why the letter had come from the Jury Selection Office. “That’s all. Bye bye,” Lynn said before ending the call, according to prosecutors.

Bucks County Detectives investigated the letter. They determined Wolfe had performed some home improvement work at the woman’s residence, and she was disputing a $157.50 portion of the bill, citing dissatisfaction with part of the work.

Detectives reviewed Owens’ county email backup file and discovered a July 12 message to Wolfe containing the subject line “Rough Draft” that expressed affection for Wolfe and sought his approval to “finalize and print," according to the District Attorney.

A copy of the letter sent to the woman was attached to the email.

Both Owens and Wolfe told investigators they drafted and sent the letter to the woman purposely on the letterhead containing judges names. Wolfe told detectives he was trying to “send a message” to the woman, the DA said.

They both have been charged with unlawful use of a computer, identity theft, forgery, official oppression, attempted theft by extortion, and related conspiracy counts.

The couple was arraigned and released on unsecured bail, set at $25,000.

The case has been assigned for prosecution to Assistant District Attorney Megan K. Stricker.