A Bronx, N.Y., woman who cashed fraudulent checks and siphoned money from an East Lyme Board of Education bank account is expected to avoid prison at her sentencing later this year.

Heidi Cecilio, 29, pleaded guilty Thursday to the charge of second-degree larceny during her appearance in New London Superior Court. In return for her plea, Cecilio will be sentenced on Dec. 21 to a fully suspended prison sentence and five years of probation.

In 2022, East Lyme police charged Cecilio with first-degree larceny after the town’s finance director discovered that fraudulent checks totaling $74,650 had been cashed from the town’s Board of Education account. Cecilio, police said, tried and failed to cash other checks totaling $28,830.

The checks had the correct bank account number and resembled Board of Education issued checks, police said. The checks were issued to “Heidi Cecilia” and deposited at an ATM near Cecilio’s Bronx home. Some of the money was immediately withdrawn after the check was deposited and wired to other bank accounts, leading police to suspect others were involved in the theft. There were, however, no further arrests.

Police, at the time of Cecilio’s arrest, said there is no indication any town employees were involved in the theft and that Cecilio or someone else had somehow obtained the bank account information.

East Lyme town officials have said that increased security measures were put in place after the incident to ensure that suspicious checks cannot be cashed.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Stephen Carney, who said he had initially called for a two-year prison sentence but deferred to the court on the final plea agreement. Cecilio is represented by public defender Kevin Barrs.

It is unclear whether the town was able to recoup all of the money but Superior Court Judge John Newson on Thursday said that restitution will be part of the sentence.

g.smith@theday.com