Former Sedgwick County Electric Co-op employee sentenced for embezzling

A former Sedgwick County Electric Cooperative employee was ordered Tuesday to serve five years of probation for embezzling thousands of dollars, according to a news release from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Jamie L. Martin, 48, of Cheney was ordered to repay $186,986.83 to the electricity provider and another $96,989.80 to cover the costs of finding and auditing the losses. She could serve 22 months in prison if she fails to abide by the terms of her probation.

Martin pleaded no contest in July to felony theft and computer crimes. She was accused of pocketing cash payments made by customers and then altering computer records and overbilling larger accounts to conceal the losses.

The electric cooperative, which has about 5,600 members, is based in Cheney. Martin worked there for 12 years.

This story was originally published September 20, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Former Sedgwick County Electric Co-op employee sentenced for embezzling."