Crime & Safety
Wife of Rockingham Jail Officer Charged with Stealing Money
AnnMarie Nelson, 54, of Chester, was indicted on two counts of theft.
A former Rockingham County Department of Corrections worker was charged with stealing money by manipulating payroll records for her husband.
AnnMarie Nelson, 54, of Chester, was indicted on two counts of theft.
"This is an ongoing investigation into the payroll records going backwards a number of years," Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams said in a statement. "There could be more charges and/or additional defendants depending upon the audits of the county payroll records."
Nelson was an office administrator. Her husband, Keith, was a corrections officer.
On two occasions—one in 2012 and another this year—AnnMarie Nelson allegedly submitted false payroll information for time that her husband didn't actually work, according to the indictments.
Each charge is punishable by 7½ to 15 years in prison and a $4,000 fine.
An indictment means a grand jury has determined a trial is warranted based on evidence in the case.
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