Businessman who defrauded friend's widow gets 7 years

RICHMOND, Va. – A Virginia businessman who defrauded his best friend's widow out of $3.2 million has been sentenced to seven years behind bars.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports 53-year-old Victor Dandridge III of Charlottesville was sentenced Thursday after he pleaded guilty in July to fraud charges.

Lynne Kinder of Richmond told the judge that Dandridge had betrayed her trust and stolen everything she had.

After her husband's 2005 death, Kinder says Dandridge offered to handle her finances and settle her late husband's estate for free. Instead of investing the money, though, he used it for his own purposes.

Dandridge says he was trying to rescue his failing businesses and believed he would be able to pay the money back.

Dandridge also admitted defrauding the Blue Ridge Bank and the Virginia Omicron Chapter House.