THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 28, 1995 TAG: 9510310472
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
Dennis L. Montgomery, a lawyer charged with diverting more than $100,000 from estates he administered, pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of embezzlement, and his attorney said Montgomery has asked to surrender his license.
Montgomery, 49, faces up to 60 years in prison on the felony convictions, stemming from his handling of two estates between 1991 and 1995. He will be sentenced Dec. 15. The funds were either missing from or never put into three bank accounts, according to evidence presented in court.
Special Prosecutor Cathleen Pritchard, an assistant in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's office, said an audit by her office showed $113,434 missing. A small portion of that could have been legitimate administrative fees, she said.
The money involved belonged in three bank accounts - a rental account for the estate of Lillie S. Jones and a rental account and checking account for the estate of Sadie D. Wyche. Some money was paid to Montgomery but never deposited in the proper account, Pritchard said. Other funds were deposited, then removed when Montgomery wrote checks to himself from the account, she said.
Patricia Rios, head of the State Bar's disciplinary department, said Montgomery's petition to surrender his license would be granted. Montgomery's guilty plea Friday prohibits him from appealing. by CNB