Two Norfolk city employees are facing embezzlement charges in separate cases involving the alleged misuse of taxpayer money and city resources.
Vontina Laws, 59, a Microcomputer Systems Analyst for the City of Norfolk's IT Department, is accused of ordering 59 cell phones using $12,500 in taxpayer funds, according to court records.
It states the phones were intended for Norfolk police officers but were never delivered to the department.
Court records show the investigation began after the city noticed a higher-than-normal cell phone bill. Authorities said the phones were turned on by unknown individuals.
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A search warrant revealed the city's help desk received at least two complaints.
A man in Canada reported buying a cell phone on eBay in February 2024, which the Norfolk Police Department locked in February 2026.
A man in Oklahoma made a similar complaint to the Norfolk Help Desk in March.
Court records show 113 additional lines were ordered under the police department's Verizon account as upgrades to existing lines, but the department never received the devices.
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It states, “NPD will incur a cancellation fee of $399 per phone line cancellation. It will cost the NDP $2,394 to cancel the six lines requested. It will cost the city more than $45,087 to cancel all 113 lines of services.”
Authorities accuse Laws of ordering the phones, having them delivered to 800 E. City Hall Ave., and signing for them. The alleged crimes date back to 2020.
WTKR spoke to Laws over the phone. She declined to comment but confirmed she is still employed by the city. Records show she makes $65,000 a year.
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The city confirmed that Laws was hired in August 2018.
"As this is an ongoing investigation, no other information is available," a city spokesperson said.
"Of course, the city taxpayers are the victims in this case. That's an easy one," Crime Analyst Richard James said.
James is a retired Norfolk Detective with 30 years of experience.
He said embezzlement is not a new crime.
"It happens a lot. Usually, it's recovered by a whistleblower or some type of audit, but it happens all the time and so, for organizations, whether it's a corporation or the local government you have to separate certain duties to protect yourself from the opportunity of embezzlement," James said.
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The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team also uncovered another recent case where police arrested 39-year-old Jermaine Ward on embezzlement charges.
A search warrant states someone inside the Norfolk Police Department ordered DoorDash and noticed the delivery driver pulled up in a marked city vehicle.
The driver was wearing a Department of Public Health sweatshirt, and another city employee was in the passenger seat.
Records indicate eight deliveries were made that day. Ward was fired from his position then charged.
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"It's hard for me to believe that a person would pull up in a vehicle, the marked city of Norfolk vehicle, and deliver meals. That's hard for me to believe, and it appears that at the police station in Norfolk, it was hard for them to believe also," James said.
Both suspects have upcoming court hearings and face potential lawyer fees, fines, and other issues.
The city did not answer questions regarding whether any changes have been implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future with regard to the charges against Laws.
"There's an old saying. Crime doesn't pay," James said.
