Allegheny County employee accused of illegally accepting $18,000

A former Allegheny County Department of Court Records supervisor was arrested Tuesday and accused of illegally accepting more than $18,000 during a sevenyear span, according to court records.

Investigators say Scott Bristol, 55, of Carrick, for years provided court services to law firms outside business hours and accepted direct, personal payments for the work.

Multiple attorneys told investigators that Mr. Bristol routinely traveled to their offices to complete estate paperwork and other duties when it was inconvenient for the attorneys or their clients to travel to the Pittsburgh court records offices. The attorneys then paid Mr. Bristol directly.

Such a practice is illegal. The Department of Court Records has an established procedure to handle situations when customers can’t travel to the offices during business hours — the request must be made in advance and there is a $75 fee for a clerk and supervisor to travel out of the office and complete the request, according to a criminal complaint.

Mr. Bristol is accused of bypassing that process and instead personally accepting between $75 and $100 to complete each task. Between 2009 and August 2016, Mr. Bristol deposited 172 checks totaling $18,885 to two bank accounts, according to the complaint, as well as numerous cash deposits. He is charged with violating the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, a felony, and turned himself in at the Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday.

Mr. Bristol worked for the county from 1991 through March 29, when he was fired. He earned a salary of $47,153. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on April 24 and could not be reached for comment Tuesday.