A former bookkeeper who stole from two North Whidbey community organizations was recently sentenced to prison.

Island County Superior Court Judge Alan Hancock also ordered Wendy Murphy, a 51-year-old Oak Harbor resident, to pay $230,000 in restitution.

Murphy pleaded guilty Sept. 5 to two counts of theft in the first degree with aggravated circumstances.

Hancock agreed with the recommended exceptional sentence worked out in a plea bargain. He handed down a 21-month prison term, which will commence Sept. 24.

Murphy was working as the bookkeeper for Rolling Hills-Glencairn Community Service and Hillcrest Village Water Co. when she stole funds from the organizations over a three-year period.

The thefts were discovered last year. Both groups fired Murphy and filed lawsuits against her.

Lt. Mike Hawley with the Island County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and found that Murphy gambled away the money she stole, his report indicates.

Murphy made thousands of dollars of unauthorized charges on the Rolling Hills’ Visa.

Murphy also wrote a series of unauthorized checks from the Hillcrest account to her husband, herself and the Rolling Hills-Glencairn account, apparently to hide some of her theft from Rolling Hills.

At the sentencing hearing, Hancock ordered Murphy to pay $49,000 to Rolling Hills and $181,000 to Hillcrest Village Water Company.