Former Treasurer of Norfolk Nonprofit Sentenced to Jail After Embezzling $27k From Organization

NORFOLK, Va. — Christopher Marcus Bernhardt, 45, was sentenced on Friday to serve nine months in jail after he pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement, felony issuing of bad checks, and subsequently failing to appear in court after he stole $27,000 while serving as the treasurer of a local nonprofit organization.

While serving as the treasurer between October 2020 and April 2022, Mr. Bernhardt made out to himself numerous checks from the nonprofit’s bank account, pocketed multiple cash deposits that belonged to the nonprofit, and made multiple bank funds transfers from the nonprofit’s account. In total, Mr. Bernhardt stole $27,000 from the nonprofit.

When Mr. Bernhardt was first confronted by other officers of the nonprofit, he confessed to what he had done and offered to pay back the $27,000 in monthly installments. In November 2022, despite knowingly having insufficient funds in his own account, Mr. Bernhardt gave his colleagues a check for $3,000. When his colleagues deposited the check, it bounced. The bank mailed Mr. Bernhardt a certified letter notifying him of the returned check and demanding he remedy it with certified funds, but Mr. Bernhardt never did.

After the other officers reported Mr. Bernhardt’s crimes to Norfolk Police, he was charged with felony embezzlement and felony issuing of a bad check. On April 17, 2023, Mr. Bernhardt failed to appear in the Norfolk General District Court for his preliminary hearing, and the judge issued an additional warrant against him for felony failure to appear. The Norfolk Police rearrested Mr. Bernhardt on that warrant.

In Circuit Court in August 2024, Mr. Bernhardt accepted a plea agreement that was designed to try to help the nonprofit recover its money from Mr. Bernhardt as quickly as possible. Mr. Bernhardt agreed to plead guilty as charged, make regularly scheduled payments toward full restitution plus interest to the nonprofit within two years, and not break the law; in exchange, after two years Mr. Bernhardt would have been found guilty of reduced misdemeanor charges. If Mr. Bernhardt did not comply with the plea agreement, he would be found guilty of the felonies as charged.

Judge Robert B. Rigney accepted Mr. Bernhardt’s plea agreement and took the matter under advisement for six months — pending proof Mr. Bernhardt had begun his restitution payments — setting a review hearing in February 2025. By the time of his review hearing, Mr. Bernhardt had not paid any restitution. For being in violation of his plea agreement, Judge Rigney found Mr. Bernhardt guilty as charged of the felonies, remanded Mr. Bernhardt into custody, and continued the case for sentencing. Because Mr. Bernhardt had no prior criminal history, his state sentencing guidelines recommended a sentence of probation.

Mr. Bernhardt appeared before Judge Rigney on Friday, May 2, for sentencing. Because of the seriousness of Mr. Bernhardt’s offense, the Commonwealth recommended that the Court impose a sentence above the guidelines and order Mr. Bernhardt to remain in jail. The defense asked that the Court sentence Mr. Bernhardt to time served. Following those arguments, Judge Rigney sentenced Mr. Bernhardt to serve nine months in jail and suspended another five years and four months in prison on the conditions that Mr. Bernhardt complete three years of uniform good behavior and begin paying restitution to the nonprofit following his release.

“A case like Mr. Bernhardt’s shows why sentencing guidelines are not mandatory: One size does not fit all, and while some people deserve a break, others deserve a heavier sanction than the average,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Bernhardt abused his position of trust at the victim institution and put the institution into serious trouble. We and the Court offered Mr. Bernhardt a chance to help the victim recover in exchange for avoiding a felony conviction. He did not take that chance, and so he will now serve his time in custody instead.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Wm. Joshua Holder prosecuted Mr. Bernhardt’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective Darren B. O’Connor led the investigation.

###

Feb. 19, 2025

Former Treasurer of Norfolk Nonprofit Convicted of Embezzling $27k From Organization

NORFOLK, Va. — Christopher Marcus Bernhardt, 45, was convicted on Friday of felony embezzlement, felony issuing of bad checks, and failure to appear in court for felony offenses after he stole $27,000 while serving as the treasurer of a local nonprofit organization between 2020 and 2022.

While serving as the treasurer between October 2020 and April 2022, Mr. Bernhardt made out to himself numerous checks from the nonprofit’s bank account, pocketed multiple cash deposits that belonged to the nonprofit, and made multiple bank funds transfers from the nonprofit’s account. In total, Mr. Bernhardt stole $27,000 from the nonprofit.

When Mr. Bernhardt was first confronted by other officers of the nonprofit, he confessed to what he had done and offered to pay back the $27,000 in monthly installments. In November 2022, despite knowingly having insufficient funds in his own account, Mr. Bernhardt gave his colleagues a check for $3,000. When his colleagues deposited the check, it bounced. The bank mailed Mr. Bernhardt a certified letter notifying him of the returned check and demanding he remedy it with certified funds, but Mr. Bernhardt never did.

After the other officers reported Mr. Bernhardt’s crimes to Norfolk Police, he was charged with felony embezzlement and felony issuing of a bad check. On April 17, 2023, Mr. Bernhardt failed to appear in the Norfolk General District Court for his preliminary hearing, and the judge issued an additional warrant against him for felony failure to appear. The Norfolk Police rearrested Mr. Bernhardt on that warrant.

In Circuit Court in August 2024, Mr. Bernhardt accepted a plea agreement that was designed to try to help the nonprofit recover its money from Mr. Bernhardt. Mr. Bernhardt agreed to plead guilty as charged, pay regularly scheduled and full restitution plus interest to the nonprofit within two years, and not break the law; in exchange, after two years Mr. Bernhardt would have been found guilty of reduced misdemeanor charges. If Mr. Bernhardt did not comply with the plea agreement, he would be found guilty of the felonies as charged. Judge Robert B. Rigney accepted Mr. Bernhardt’s plea agreement and took the matter under advisement for six months — pending proof Mr. Bernhardt had begun his restitution payments — setting a review hearing on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.

By the time of his review hearing on Friday, Mr. Bernhardt had not paid any restitution to the nonprofit. For being in violation of his plea agreement, Judge Rigney found Mr. Bernhardt guilty as charged of the felonies. Judge Rigney revoked Mr. Bernhardt’s bond and continued Mr. Bernhardt’s case for sentencing on May 2.

“Mr. Bernhardt abused his position of trust to steal a significant amount of money from a nonprofit organization,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “He richly deserved a felony conviction up front, and we offered him a plea agreement only in hopes that its incentives would push Mr. Bernhardt to close the hole he had blown in the finances of the nonprofit about which he purported to care. Mr. Bernhardt failed to make his amends, and he will now sit in jail awaiting sentencing for the felony he has earned. A crime does not need to be violent to be serious, and we will continue to prosecute people who victimize our local institutions and the people they serve.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Wm. Joshua Holder is prosecuting Mr. Bernhardt’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective Darren B. O’Connor led the investigation.

###