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On Sept. 22 a local judge certified to a grand jury the embezzlement case against a lawyer accused of stealing from the Virginia Farm Bureau while he was working there.

Lawrence H. Bidwell, 49, appeared in Goochland County General District Court and agreed to a statement read by the prosecutor saying that he used a $30,000 check to the Farm Bureau to pay an $18,000 personal debt.

The theft charge against Bidwell, who lived in Farmville, is slated to go before a Goochland grand jury scheduled to meet Oct. 14.

He admitted to a gambling problem during a previous court appearance, records show.

Bidwell previously was listed as a claims attorney for the Farm Bureau’s insurance company. In a statement released this month after charges against Bidwell became public, the organization announced that an 18-year employee had been fired after the Farm Bureau found that he had stolen some company assets.

Without naming Bidwell, company officials said the employee had also misrepresented his qualifications and background for the job. A Virginia State Bar official said no one with the name Bidwell has ever been licensed to practice law in the state.

Bidwell earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1984 and practiced in the state for six years, according to online records of the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility.

In a January 1990 board disciplinary case, he pleaded guilty to converting to personal use more than $50,000 that he had held in trust. The board suspended him for five years, records show.

The Farm Bureau is conducting an independent investigation to find out how much money was stolen. The organization is also reviewing its system of financial controls and its process for hiring and screening employees, officials said in the release.

Bidwell could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Calvin R. Trice is a staff writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Staff writer Reed Williams contributed to this report.

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