Man found not guilty - but a little too late

A former New Bern resident had his day in court this week and was found not guilty of the crime for which he stood accused, without even being in the courtroom.

But he ended up in trouble anyway, for having a problem being punctual.

Mario Beal, who is in his early 20s, had been accused of financial identity fraud. He was accused of stealing the identity of the late Stephen Dudasik, said Beal's attorney, Michael Mills.

Beal's trial started in New Bern on Tuesday and he was present for jury selection and the day's proceedings.

But when Wednesday came, Beal was a no-show.

"I tried to call him and I couldn't find him," Mills said. "But court went on anyway, and the jury went out to deliberate for about 20 minutes. They came back with the verdict - not guilty - and Mario was still nowhere to be found."

Beal showed up at the Craven County Courthouse at 11 a.m. that day, apparently because he had misunderstood when he was to be back. He was met by a bailiff, who informed him that he was not guilty - and was also in contempt of court.

Beal was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, which he will perform in Maryland, where he now lives.

"He still has family here, and I think he was with them before he knew he was supposed to be in court," Mills said. "It's the first time I've had something like that happen to me. I guess it's less stressful for the client, but I sure wondered where he was."