Former Probate Clerk Found Guilty of Embezzlement

A former probate clerk in Chesapeake Circuit Court was sentenced last week to serve one year in prison for embezzling from his office.

Maurio B. Anderson, 32, of Norfolk pleaded guilty in December to two counts of felony embezzlement.

According to court documents, Anderson handled probate matters between June 1, 2009, and May 16, 2011, for the Chesapeake Circuit Court clerk's office. It was his job to collect fees and taxes from people interested in opening estates and recording wills.

In May 2011, a state audit discovered 397 probate files that were missing cash receipts. The receipts would have totaled $24,166, documents said.

Circuit Judge Randall D. Smith sentenced Anderson to 10 years in prison with all but one suspended. He ordered him to pay $24,500 in restitution.

"Mr. Anderson has demonstrated total contempt for the policies, procedures and protocol of this office," Clerk of the Circuit Court Faye W. Mitchell wrote in a letter to the judge.

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Former Chesapeake Clerk Guilty of Embezzlement