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Former Petersburg City Attorney Brian K. Telfair was found guilty Friday of lying to police about a supposed 2016 threat to city officials in which he used a prepaid cellphone to call himself but claimed an unknown “redneck” caller made racist threats to the mayor and two other city leaders.

In finding him guilty after a two-hour trial in Petersburg General District Court, Judge Ray P. Lupold III said there was “no doubt whatsoever” that Telfair committed a “calculated” crime and admonished him for the harm he caused to the community.

“This is not only a crime,” Lupold said from the bench. “This is a breach of trust; this is a breach of duty. We are held to a higher standard as lawyers.”

The judge said the method Telfair used to carry out the ruse “makes absolutely no sense to the court. The method by which it was done was a calculated crime. He uses threats to harm all of the citizens of the community, and that is indefensible.”

The judge then sentenced Telfair to 12 months in jail with 11 months suspended for the misdemeanor offense of making a false report to police. He also ordered Telfair to make $7,411 restitution to Virginia State Police for the cost of their investigation.