MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) – A former Mercer County attorney has been sentenced after West Virginia State Police say he was found guilty of embezzlement.

According to the West Virginia State Police, Phillip Ball, 60, of Athens, was working as an attorney for the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department in 2015, assisting the sheriff in administering the estate of a deceased person. State police say Ball illegally transferred more than $73,000 in estate assets to a private/personal account held by Ball and his wife in 2015.

When the illegal transfers were found in 2020, investigations were launched by the Federal and State Bars of West Virginia.

In July 2023, Ball’s license to practice law was revoked by the state of West Virginia, and in August 2023, Mercer County District Attorney Brian Cochran asked the West Virginia State Police to investigate Ball’s actions. This led to an indictment in October 2023 and a subsequent sentencing.

Ball was originally sentenced to 1-10 years in the West Virginia State Penitentiary for felony embezzlement, but the sentence was suspended and Ball was placed on two years of supervised probation.

Cochran said Ball could still serve 1 to 10 years if he does not comply with the terms of his probation.

The sentencing took place on October 30.

Copyright 2024 WVVA. All rights reserved.