A 59-year-old Chaplin woman was sentenced to five years of probation Wednesday in New London Superior Court for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a farmer/trucking company owner in Lebanon while working as his bookkeeper.

Lauri Villa, whose jury trial in March 2017 had ended in a mistrial when the jury could not agree on a verdict, had accepted an offer from the state in November 2017 to plead guilty to second-degree larceny in exchange for a fully suspended eight-year prison sentence and five years of probation.

She pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine, which indicates she does not agree with the state's version of the case but does not want to risk a harsher sentence if convicted at trial of the original charge of first-degree larceny.

Judge Hillary B. Strackbein ordered her to pay her former employer, James Grover, $32,750. Should she not pay the full amount while on probation, the restitution will convert to a civil judgment against her.

Villa had worked for Grover for more than eight years, earning $12 an hour, according to testimony at the trial. In December 2012, Grover became annoyed that Villa asked to take off the day after Christmas and told her to take the whole week off, according to testimony at the trial. During that week, he said, he noticed inconsistencies with his checking account, reviewed them with his son, who was more computer savvy, and went to state police.

Grover estimated his losses at more than $200,000. A state police detective stopped investigating after the losses totaled $20,000, which is the amount needed to prove first-degree larceny. A forensic accountant in the Chief State's Attorney's office found that Villa had written checks to herself or to cash and recorded different amounts in the business ledger.

Grover sent a letter to the judge indicating he was not pleased with the plea deal Villa received but will respect the court proceedings.

k.florin@theday.com