After a homeowner refused to pay her boyfriend $157 of a $675 bill, investigators say Lynn Owens, a former clerk with the Bucks County Jury Selection Commission office, typed out a letter threatening legal action, printed it on the county jury selection commission county letterhead and sent it by certified mail.
“To, we believe, coerce payment to her boyfriend for an outstanding home improvement bill,” said prosecutor Megan Stricker.
That homeowner paid the bulk of the bill but refused to pay $157 as she wasn’t happy with part of the work.
Stricker says Owens typed the letter, which threatened legal action if the $157 wasn’t paid, on her county computer and sent it through her county email to her boyfriend Steven Wolfe so he could sign it.
Owens was fired from the job she’s had since 2016.
She and Wolfe are charged with conspiracy, official oppression, unlawful use of a computer, forgery and also identity theft because the letter head includes the president judge, court administrator and jury selection commissioner.
Since some of them are over 60, the penalties on that charge could be increased.
"All of this came as sort of effort to recoup all of $150," Stricker said.