Todd M. Chapman, Bank Fraud, West Virginia 2025

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - In a shocking case of financial deceit, Todd M. Chapman, 57, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, admitting to embezzling at least $602,000 from a local law firm.

Chapman, who served as office manager for approximately 30 years until April 2022, used his position to enrich himself by writing unauthorized checks from the firm's accounts and client trust accounts to himself.

According to court documents, Chapman carried out his scheme by gaining complete and exclusive control of the firm's day-to-day finances, funneling money he stole from clients through the firm's operating accounts, forging signatures on checks, creating false documents, and making false statements under oath in civil lawsuits.

The former office manager embezzled a staggering $409,000 from the estates of three deceased firm clients, $100,000 meant for a minor client, and $15,838.84 from another minor client's settlement deposit. He also swindled $13,686.21 from the firm's $20,375 Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan.

Chapman faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. He also owes $602,000 in restitution, a sum that represents the entirety of the embezzled funds.

Chapman is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman, Erik S. Goes, and Kathleen Robeson, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office conducting the investigation.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston commended the investigative work of the agencies involved in the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/ex-law-firm-office-manager-pleads-guilty-bank-fraud