Man Who Stole $246K In Cash From Main Line Health Gets Prison

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — A Delaware County man who stole nearly $256,000 from Main Line Health while working as a courier for the healthcare system was hit with a prison sentence Friday, authorities said.

Raashid Jamaal Barfield, a former Priority Express courier, pleaded guilty and was sentenced 18 to 36 months for stealing $245,802 in cash that he was supposed to be securely transporting for Main Line Health, according to District Attorney Katayoun Copeland.

Barfield, 34, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty to theft by deception, a felony of the second degree, and was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in prison followed by six years of probation and restitution.

Barfield was arrested on theft charges on May 3, 2018, following an investigation by Detective Michele Deery of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Economic Crime Unit.

Then investigation began after authorities got a report by Main Line Health of suspected fraud being committed by Barfield, who was a contracted courier working for Priority Express, the DA's office said.

Priority Express is a courier service used by Main Line Health for pickups at their various offices for samples of blood, cash, and check payments. At the end of the day, Priority Express employees are required to drop off all checks to Wells Fargo Bank in Philadelphia, and cash pickups are required to be dropped off at the Brinks Company in Philadelphia. A log is kept of all activities.

On Jan. 19, 2018, CID Detective Michele Deery was provided a list of Main Line Health stops from Priority Express for Barfield.

As part of the investigation, detectives followed Barfield to and from those stops, which included cash pickups.

Detectives stopped Barfield at the end of his daily route, and a search of his car revealed a large amount of cash secreted in his center console.

After review of the pickup logs, it was determined that the log that Barfield provided to Brinks was fraudulent.

The investigation revealed that Barfield has picked up various cash bags and had not logged in those pickups.

According to Priority Express, Barfield also had been turning off the GPS system on his phone, which is required to be used by employees during working hours.

Barfield later admitted to the theft, saying he started taking cash from the pickups when he was shorthanded for his personal bills, the DA's office said.

The thefts starting shortly after his employment began in the summer of 2016.

He first stole $1,000 in cash from the Main Line Health complex located on the 3800 block of West Chester Pike in Newtown Square, according to the DA's office.

According to the investigation it was determined that this location had a significant amount of cash missing over the past 18 months, the DA's office said.

Barfield said he would make a log sheet without those offices on it and would submit this fraudulently manufactured log to keep his thefts secret, according to the DA's office.

Following a full cash audit by Main Line Health and Priority Express, from August 2016 to January 2018, Barfield stole $245,802, the DA's office said.

Image via Delaware County District Attorney's Office