Woman gets three years for embezzlement

Lisa Durham, 40, of Petersburg to serve three years in prison and ordered her to pay about $144,000 in restitution for embezzling money from a VCU program.

By: Reed Williams | Times-Dispatch
Published: October 12, 2010

The former coordinator of a Virginia Commonwealth University community-outreach program that helped chronically and terminally ill patients will spend three years in prison for embezzling $144,000 from the program.

Richmond Circuit Judge Richard D. Taylor today sentenced Lisa Durham, 40, of Petersburg to serve three years in prison and ordered her to pay about $144,000 in restitution to VCU. Durham pleaded guilty in July to six counts of felony embezzlement in the case.

“What was done here with this embezzlement scheme was despicable,” Taylor said.

Durham, employed by VCU from November 2003 until she was fired in December 2009, was program coordinator for the Community Outreach Recruitment Retention Engagement Initiative.

The program provided rent, utility and prescription drug payments to chronically and terminally ill patients, many of whom suffer from HIV/AIDS, a spokeswoman for VCU has said.

Authorities say Durham was using the stolen money to pay her own rent and utilities.

The program was funded with federal money, and funds would pass through the Virginia Department of Health to various entities that would bring the program out to the community.

Durham had contracted with Commonwealth Catholic Charities to disburse the funds. Authorities said Durham would evaluate a patient’s need and then submit a request to Commonwealth Catholic Charities for a check to pay that client’s utility bill, rent or other need. The checks were made out to the landlord or utility and then sent to Durham for disbursement.

Using her maiden name of Lisa Jones, Durham would request checks for herself that would be used to pay her own rent and utilities, as well as for cash, said Richmond prosecutor John Jung.

Durham apologized in court for her actions. “I am not that person, and I do not want this event to define my life,” she said.

Durham’s attorney, Robert E. Walker Jr., said after today’s hearing that Durham had been stressed about money during the time of the embezzlement because a terminally ill relative had come to live with her from out of state.

The judge said he believes that Durham is remorseful but noted that the theft took place over a three-year period, leaving her plenty of time to reflect on her actions.