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Former West Virginia Panel Attorney Sentenced for Wire Fraud

 Former West Virginia Panel Attorney Sentenced for Wire Fraud

A Belington panel attorney, Lisa A. Weese, has been sentenced by United States District Judge John Preson Bailey to federal prison for billing the state of West Virginia for services that she did not perform.  Weese, who pleaded guilty in November 2012 to mail fraud, must serve 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by three months of supervised release.

From September 2006 to September 2001, Weese was a panel attorney in the Circuit Court of Barbour, Randolph, Tucker, and Taylor counties.  During this period she submitted 682 fraudulent voucher reports by mail to the West Virginia Public Defender Services agency.  These vouchers claimed that Weese had worked more than 24 hours on each of the 48 days and more than 16 hours on an additional 168 days.  According to the news release, the total loss based on compensation paid to Weese for work she didn’t perform was $159,130.08.  Judge Bailey is in the process of determining the amount of restitution that must be paid by Weese and will provide a separate order in the future.

Lisa Weese is free on bond and will self-report to the designated federal institution.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen D. Warner and investigated by the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.