WACO (December 7, 2009)--Cindy Love, a former employee of Waco’s Heart of Texas Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, was sentenced to 10 years probation Monday and ordered to pay restitution after she pleaded guilty earlier this fall to theft over $20,000, but less than $100,000 Monday in a plea deal with prosecutors in a case involving the theft of thousands of dollars from the nonprofit agency.

Love had asked 19th District Court Judge Ralph Strother for 10 years deferred adjudication probation, which would have meant that the conviction would have been erased from her record if she successfully completed the term of probation.

But Strother rejected that, instead sentencing her to 10 years probation.

Love, who worked for the council for 12 years, was arrested in December 2008 after an annual audit revealed that thousands of dollars was missing.

The affidavit submitted for the arrest warrant says the theft involved about $65,230, which included money from both the organization’s bank accounts and credit accounts.

The affidavit says the money was used to remodel a residence and for other living expenses.

It says Love repaid $12,000 of the money before she was fired.