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State Supreme Court Scam: Pay Fake Judges

By William Vogeler, Esq. on February 12, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Maybe Misty Corb, a payroll supervisor, thought retired judges make too much money.

After all, a judge can make bank with retirement checks and private judging at the same time. Plus, Corb wasn't really taking anything from the retirees.

She made fake assignments for them and diverted the money into accounts she controlled. The judges never knew about it because they didn't receive the assignments -- until one day auditors realized something was missing.

Missing Pay

The lid came off the scam last year when state auditors couldn't find paperwork for a retired judge's temporary assignment. They contacted the judge, who said he never got the assignment.

Investigators discovered that Cobb had made pay requests in the names of several retired or inactive judges. She was arrested for identity theft, computer fraud, and other charges.

After making $70,000 in restitution payments, she pleaded guilty to four counts of identity theft. She will be on probation for four years while she repays another $46,000 and change.

Her attorney said she had "great remorse" and intends to pay back "every single dime."

Pay Back

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro called Corb's actions "brazen and disappointing."

"We are only hopeful that this court will be able to recoup the remainder of the restitution owed to the state Supreme Court," he said.

Of course, Cobb won't be working it off at the court. She left the job three months before authorities caught up with her.

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