Suspended Harrisonburg City Treasurer Rebecca Neal has pleaded guilty to charges of misappropriation of public funds.
Commonwealth's Attorney Marsha Garst and the Harrisonburg Police Department held a press conference Friday morning to announce the plea.
The offense is a Class 4 Felony that would have carried ten years of jail time, but through the plea agreement, those ten years are suspended.
Neal will spend two years on supervised probation and she will also pay restitution to the city for bad check fees and for interest lost on the money she illegally kept, totaling $150.
She will also pay $800 in restitution to the Harrisonburg Police Department for the cost of production of bank records.
Neal must also forfeit her position as city treasurer.
In a press release, Garst says, "I applaud the hundreds of investigative hours from the Harrisonburg Police Department, lead Investigator Terry Warlitner, and financial crimes expert Howard Mulholand of the Virginia Attorney General's Office who helped to assure a conviction in this case. In addition, staff at both the Harrisonburg Police Department and the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office work tirelessly to assure the case and numerous records were professional organized. Due to the efforts of law enforcement, the dedication of citizens, and devoted civil servants, the Office of the Treasurer of the City of Harrisonburg will be restored to a place of integrity."