Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 4, 1994 TAG: 9401040115
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Patricia L. Willis now faces allegations that she assisted another cashier in embezzling far more money from the civic center's box office.
A grand jury in Roanoke Circuit Court indicted Willis, 46, on four counts of acting as a principle in the second degree to embezzlement.
Last month, a judge dismissed charges that Willis took $900 from an office safe for her own use, ruling that she had no criminal intent.
Defense Attorney Deborah Caldwell-Bono has said that Willis left personal checks made out to the civic center in the safe whenever she took out money. Caldwell-Bono argued that the checks showed Willis intended to pay back the money.
Prosecutors contended that the checks were hidden in the safe for months, and that Willis never intended for them to reach the bank.
But in dismissing the embezzlement charge, Judge Jack Coulter wrote in an opinion that the uncashed checks "gave expression that this self-administered `loan' was to be repaid."
Although the embezzlement charge against Willis was thrown out, she now faces four more charges involving a larger amount of stolen money.
One of the cashiers who worked for Willis, Lucy Mae Barlow, has pleaded guilty to using essentially the same plan to take $7,000 from the civic center safe.
Barlow, who was placed on probation last month after her felony charge was reduced to petty larceny, has testified that Willis was involved in the thefts.
Barlow testified that Willis took money from the safe in her presence and once told her, "we could get in a lot of trouble" if the scheme was discovered.
Prosecutors are expected to use Barlow's testimony in attempting to show Willis' criminal involvement.
Willis, who had faced up to 20 years in prison on her initial charge, now faces up to 80 years on the four new charges.
Because the first charge was dismissed on technical grounds - before a plea was entered or testimony presented - the new charges against Willis are not double jeopardy, according to Chief Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Betty Jo Anthony.
by CNB