A Conecuh County woman who was former director of a local court referral agency was sentenced sentenced Thursday in Conecuh County Court to five years imprisonment,which was suspended for a term of five years probation, and ordered to pay restitution to the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts in the amount of $59,983.

Daphne Boley, 34, of Evergreen, pleaded guilty on April 4 to first-degree theft of property, a class B felony. The attorney general’s office, who prosecuted the case, had recommended a sentence of ten years, and opposed the probation.

Boley was previously employed as director of Southwest Alabama Court Referral, a private agency that contracted with the State of Alabama. In that capacity, Boley collected monitoring fees from various clients, which by state law were required to be forwarded to the State Comptroller’s Office. Rather than remitting the funds to the State, Boley used this money for her own personal and business expenses. Prosecutors estimate that Boley stole more than $60,000 from the State of Alabama.