Theft Leads to Jail Sentence for Former Museum Official

A former museum official in Bellevue, Wash., was sentenced to 22 months in prison last week after she admitted to embezzling money from her former employer, reports The Seattle Times.

Janet Ellinger, who was chief financial officer of the Bellevue Arts Museum, pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from the museum. Along with the jail sentence, she was ordered to pay about $335,000 in restitution.

The theft was discovered in May 2007, and Ms. Ellinger’s lawyer said his client spent the money on tuition payments for her son and home improvements, among other things, the Times reports.