Philadelphia sheriff's office under investigation

The sheriff's office has received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's office, said Chief Deputy Sheriff Joseph Vignola, a former city controller brought in to the sheriff's office in a shake-up last month.

He declined to disclose any details of that subpoena.

But the city Controller's office said it too had been subpoenaed for financial records from the sheriff's office having to do with real estate transactions.

In Philadelphia, the sheriff is charged with selling foreclosed property.

The federal subpoenas come on the heels of a call for a forensic audit of the sheriff's office. Controller Alan Butkovitz in January named Deloitte Financial Advisory Services to conduct the audit.

The sheriff's office failed to provide data for 11 accounts with assets of $53 million, Butkovitz has said.

The sheriff's office had refused to cooperate and provide requested financial material, raising concerns over the potential risk for fraud and other impropriety, he said in comments made last October.

Veteran Sheriff John Green retired at the beginning of this year, succeeded by acting Sheriff Barbara Deeley.

(Reporting by Dave Warner, editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Greg McCune)