Debra Jane Taylor, 66, Boyne Falls, was sentenced to 18 months of probation preceded by two months of jail, 14 days to be served immediately following her conviction of embezzlement of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000.

Judge Roy C. Hayes III handed down the sentence this morning in the 33rd Circuit Court.

Taylor had pleaded guilty to the charge on January 22, acknowledging that she had stolen $3,203.80 from the Village of Boyne Falls where she had been the longtime village clerk.

Police records showed that Taylor had failed to deposit cash payments for village water bills on 11 occasions going back to July 2014 and instead had kept the funds for herself.

The Michigan Sentencing Guidelines called for a minimum sentence of 0 to 3 months in jail and the Michigan Department of Corrections recommended no jail time, however, Charlevoix County Prosecuting Attorney Allen Telgenhof asked the court to order incarceration.

Telgenhof said that without a jail sentence it might appear that someone can steal from the public, pay the money back and have no punishment. Both Taylor and the court noted the humiliation that had resulted from the arrest and Taylor’s criminal record now shows this criminal conviction.