A former Philadelphia Fire Department payroll supervisor has been criminally charged in connection with an alleged overtime fraud scheme that is already at the center of a federal lawsuit brought by a former First Deputy Fire Commissioner.

Marian Farris has been charged with bribery and theft from a local government agency receiving federal funds. Federal prosecutors allege that while serving as a PFD payroll supervisor, Farris accepted payments from an employee in exchange for approving more than 2,000 hours of overtime that were never worked, costing the city more than $139,000. NBC10 Philadelphia. Prosecutors also allege Farris approved fictitious overtime while the employee was on vacation, including during trips to Cancun and Las Vegas and a cruise to Bermuda. NBC10 Philadelphia

The criminal charges add another dimension to a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Deputy Chief Anthony Hudgins, a 32-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department who had risen through the ranks to become First Deputy Fire Commissioner.

According to Chief Hudgins’ complaint, as First Deputy Fire Commissioner, he began looking into possible overtime fraud in October 2024 after a battalion chief raised concerns about the compensation being received by paramedic Jacqulyn Murphy. Chief Hudgins alleges that an examination of overtime records revealed that eight other paramedics averaged approximately 24 overtime payments during 2024, while Murphy received 286. Of Murphy’s 286 payments, Hudgins claims 232 lacked the required overtime request forms.    

Chief Hudgins alleges that Farris knowingly processed Murphy’s unauthorized overtime payments. He reported his preliminary findings to senior PFD leadership and later referred the matter to the Philadelphia Office of Inspector General.

According to Chief Hudgins’ lawsuit, before he could interview Murphy and Farris about the overtime issue, the two began accusing him of sexual harassment. Chief Hudgins alleges Murphy and Farris sought to enlist other female employees to make complaints against him and that Murphy attempted to recruit additional women to join a sexual-harassment action.    

In December 2024, Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson directed then Deputy Commissioner Hudgins work remotely the harassment allegations were investigated. Chief Hudgins claims he told Fire Commissioner Thompson that the allegations were retaliation for his overtime investigation.

The city retained an outside law firm to investigate the harassment allegations. According to Hudgins’ complaint, the investigation concluded that he had hugged individuals in the workplace in a manner that some considered offensive or unwelcome, but did not substantiate allegations of offensive or prohibited verbal conduct. Chief Hudgins alleges that Fire Commissioner Thompson subsequently told him the investigators recommended that he return to work.    

The OIG investigation into the overtime allegations reached a considerably different conclusion regarding Farris and Murphy. According to Hudgins’ complaint, the OIG issued a report on September 9, 2025, concluding that Murphy and Farris had worked together to defraud the city of unearned compensation and other benefits. Chief Hudgins alleges the report identified him as the person who initially uncovered the wrongdoing and confirmed that his overtime investigation preceded the harassment complaints against him.     

The Philadelphia Inquirer subsequently reported that the OIG found Murphy received more than $180,000 in “unjust” compensation during 2023 and 2024. The report reportedly identified emails showing Murphy made biweekly $500 payments to someone identified as “Marian F.” for six months in 2024. The OIG concluded that Murphy and Farris worked together to defraud the city and recommended both administrative and criminal consequences.

Despite the outside investigators’ recommendation that Chief Hudgins return to work, the city demoted him in October 2025 from First Deputy Fire Commissioner to his civil-service rank of Deputy Chief, reducing his annual salary from $230,000 to $155,106.50 and assigning him to the Incident Safety Office. Hudgins contends the demotion was retaliation for uncovering the overtime fraud.

Chief Hudgins’ suit alleges violations of the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law, Title VII and the Fourteenth Amendment, along with defamation, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with a contractual relationship, and civil conspiracy. A copy of the complaint is included below.  More on the criminal charges against Farris.