NORFOLK
A former bookkeeper at a prominent local law firm has been charged with embezzling more than $150,000 from the firm.
Norma M. Blackwell, 47, was charged in U.S. District Court on Tuesday with mail fraud. Blackwell, who now lives in Se bring, Fla., has not yet been arrested.
Blackwell worked between 2004 and 2007 for the Virginia Beach law firm Shuttleworth, Ruloff, Giordano & Swain. (The firm is now called Shuttleworth, Ruloff, Swain, Haddad & Morecock.)
According to the charging papers, Blackwell had checks written to herself and her husband. She would intersperse the checks with legitimate ones when getting them signed by the firm's executive in charge of authorizing payments, the papers say.
Blackwell "presented checks for signing at busy times to lessen the risk of discovery of her fraud," the court papers say.
She is also accused of making unauthorized wire transfers from the firm into her husband's bank account, as well as to her creditors. In all, the firm lost a little more than $153,000.
The firm is perhaps best known as the representative of sports stars Michael Vick and Allen Iverson. Firm partner Lawrence H. Woodward Jr. said Friday he could not comment on the case.
Blackwell couldn't be reached for comment.
Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
