Flaherty pleads guilty to stealing money from water bills - WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling Steubenville

The former head of the Bellaire Water Department admitted in court Tuesday, she is guilty of stealing the money that citizens had paid for their water bills.

Lisa Flaherty was suddenly missing for months after state auditors were sent to go over the books in Bellaire.

She was later found living in New York, and was brought back to Belmont County to face the charges. Click here to read the full process of Flaherty's return to the Ohio Valley.

She pleaded guilty to theft in office, tampering with evidence and tampering with records.

Belmont County Prosecutor Chris Berhalter said Flaherty is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

"Well she is set for sentencing next month in November," he said. "At that time we are going to ask that an actual term of incarceration in prison be imposed. What happened here is theft of public funds and that's something that can never be tolerated."