Ordered to pay back more than $2,200

 

The former employee accused of stealing public money from the Lawrence County Treasurer’s Office admitted her guilt Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Mindy Joseph, 31, of 568 Township Road 253E, Ironton, pleaded guilty to a four-count indictment of third-degree tampering with evidence, fourth-degree identity fraud, fifth-degree theft and misdemeanor theft.

Judge Charles Cooper sentenced Joseph to fours years community control sanctions under intensive supervised probation and six months home confinements with GPS monitoring. Joseph was also ordered to pay restitution for the full amount she took, which was $2,251,88. Cooper reserved three years in prison for her if she violates her CCS orders.

Joseph’s attorney, Scott Evans, told the court the woman was ready to pay the restitution and had brought a cashier’s check for the full amount.

Cooper said Joseph has no prior criminal record, which weighed in the court’s decision to adopt the prosecutor’s office sentencing recommendations.

While an employee of the treasurer’s office, Joseph stole money and, in a separate incident, tried to take another fellow employee’s personal information to obtain a credit card for herself.

Joseph has since been terminated from employment with the county office.