The former sheriff of Philadelphia has pleaded not guilty to charges he accepted gifts and illegal campaign donations from the heads of two companies his office hired to help advertise and process sales of delinquent properties.

In a superseding indictment filed Dec. 18 in the long-running investigation into the previous administration of the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office, former Sheriff John Green was accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts from co-defendant James Davis in exchange for ensuring Davis' companies, Reach Communications Specialists and RCS Searchers, would face no competition for their contracts with the Sheriff's Office.

For about 20 minutes Dec. 18, Green sat with his hands cuffed behind his back as he awaited U.S. Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to begin his arraignment hearing. After hearing the charges against him, Green entered a plea of not guilty. Prosecutors Sarah Grieb and Christopher Diviny agreed to Green's release on $50,000 bail. He had to agree to live in his Florida home and travel only within the United States. He also agreed not to talk with any co-defendants or potential witnesses in the case.