MERCER COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – On October 30, 2024, former attorney Phillip B. Ball, 60, of Athens, West Virginia, was sentenced by Mercer County Circuit Court Special Judge Andrew Dimlich for his conviction of felony embezzlement on August 6, 2024. Ball was indicted by a Mercer County Grand Jury in October 2023 for embezzling over $73,000 from an estate that was being administered by the Mercer County Sheriff in 2015.
Judge Dimlich, a Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge appointed by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia to serve as a special judge for Mercer County, sentenced Ball to a 1 to 10-year prison term, which was suspended. Instead, Ball will serve two years of supervised probation under the Mercer County Probation Department. According to Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran, if Ball fails to comply with the terms of his probation, he will be subjected to the full prison sentence.
The embezzlement charge stems from Ball’s actions while serving as the attorney for the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department in 2015, where he assisted in the administration of a deceased Mercer County resident’s estate. In March 2015, Ball illegally transferred over $73,000 in estate assets into a personal account solely owned by him and his wife. These transfers came to light in 2020, prompting federal and West Virginia State Bar investigations.
In July 2023, Ball’s license to practice law was annulled by the State of West Virginia. Following this, Cochran requested an investigation by the West Virginia State Police into Ball’s actions, leading to the October 2023 indictment and subsequent sentencing. Cochran commended the West Virginia State Police for their investigation and expressed gratitude to the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia Office of Disciplinary Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and successful prosecution.
