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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Norfolk Treasurer Found Guilty of Corruption

Norfolk City Treasurer Anthony Burfoot was convicted on six of eight public corruption and perjury charges after a jury concluded he solicited bribes from developers and lied to cover up his misdeeds.

By JOCELYN RARDIN

NORFOLK, Va. (CN) – Norfolk City Treasurer Anthony Burfoot was convicted on six of eight public corruption and perjury charges after a jury concluded he solicited bribes from developers and lied to cover up his misdeeds.

After the jury rendered its verdict on Friday, U.S. District Judge Henry Morgan Jr. ruled the Burfoot can remain free until his sentencing on April 17.

Until then, Morgan said he Burfoot -- who plans to remain in office while he appeals his conviction -- must report regularly to a federal probation officer.

Burfoot faces the possibility of 90 years in prison. Probation officials will review the case and Burfoot’s record before calculating advisory sentencing guidelines.

Burfoot declined to speak with reporters as he left the courthouse on Friday, leaving it to his defense attorney, Andrew Sacks, to announce his intention to appeal.

Burfoot is already the focus of a recall effort and backers of his ouster said they will ask prosecutors to request that Burfoot immediately be suspended from office pending the outcome of his appeal and a separate hearing on the recall which is scheduled for January.

The jury in Burfoot's trial deliberated for about five-and-a-half hours before delivering its verdict, ending the five-week trial.

Sacks said he was disappointed the jury didn’t take more time to review the evidence, saying he thought it would take them several days to decide his client's fate.

Burfoot was found not guilty on two counts of perjury relating to testimony in which he said he never asked developer Tommy Arney to give the mother of his two children $25,000 for credit card bills and never pledged to vote for Arney’s Granby Cabaret strip club in exchange.

Categories / Criminal, Trials

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