Woman sentenced in theft case

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
A Russellville woman accused of stealing money from a local business and church will spend the next year confined to her home, officials said Thursday.
Catherine James, 62, 134 Mattie St. in Russellville, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree theft of property on March 30.
She had been accused of stealing money from Waco Baptist Church and B &M Building Supply in Russellville over a period of three years.
As part of a plea agreement reached with prosecutors in March, the charges stemming from the alleged church theft were dropped.
James was sentenced Aug. 5 to 10 years in prison on each charge to run concurrently. After hearing testimony from James concerning her health and that of other family members, Circuit Court Judge Terry Dempsey agreed to allow James to serve the sentence through the community corrections program. As part of that arrangement she will be on house arrest for the next year. James was also ordered to pay restitution of $110,000, which is believed to be the amount taken while she worked at B &M Building Supply.
"We requested that she serve at least a portion of her sentence in jail because of the large amount that she stole, but we understand and respect the court's ruling based on the defendant's health," Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said.
"The court order will allow her to pay the business back in a timely manner."