A former Arden hills City finance employee told a judge the other day in court that when she stole 9% of the cities taxes over a period of 5 years for her gambling habit she did not know she was addicted to it.
The Ex-Employee thought Suicide was the only way out fo this mess until she checked into an inpatient Gambling rehab center. Friday during her sentencing her lawyer explained to the judge that is was important his client not go to jail for the 19 month term she was looking at for stealing the 253,000 dollars so she could continue to receive treatment for her gambling disease.
The Judge agreed and sentenced the 42 year old woman to a stayed prison sentence. This means that she won’t have to spend any time in prison as long as she stays out of trouble and finished her treatment. She also received 10 years of probation, 6 months in the county workhouse and she has to pay back all the money.
The woman says she has a great deal of shame and guilt for what she did and was not aware that her gambling was part of a sickness. She also said that she is trying every day to overcome the disease of gambling and trying to make everything right again.