The mercy of her victim will keep a Proctorville woman out of prison after she admitted to stealing $60,000.

Keturah Adkins, 26, of 68 Private Drive 9622, pleaded guilty on a bill of information Wednesday to one count of theft and one count of safecracking.

She was arrested July 1 after the victim realized his residence had been entered and his safe pilfered over a period of several weeks and called the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

Judge D. Scott Bowling sentenced her to four years community controlled sanctions under intensive supervised probation (CCS/ISP) and ordered her to successfully complete and in-house drug treatment program.

She must also pay back all the money she took.

“This is a really sad situation and it shows what drugs are doing to people, which is what caused this girl to steal from people she knows loves her,” Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Mack Anderson said before Adkins was sentenced. “She goes in this house and gets in the safe and takes their life savings.” Anderson said the victim, who is a relative, asked the prosecutor’s office not to send Adkins to prison but rather to insure she gets help for her drug addiction. Anderson said given what she did, a prison term would have been justified.

Adkins’ attorney, Philip Heald, said his client is aware she is very fortunate to receive the sentence she did.

“I think she understands what her duty is and that is to get her problem fixed,” Heald said. “She is enthusiastic about being able to participate in this program.”

Adkins told Bowling she is “very sorry for what I did. I’m thankful my family supports me right now.”

If she violates the terms of her probation Adkins could be sent to prison for 34 months.