A woman was sentenced to two years of probation for stealing $11,000 from the St. Joseph Family YMCA.

Sherri L. Stewart, 38, pilfered the money in the less than three months that she worked at the YMCA, from last November until January. She has already paid complete restitution in the matter.

Ms. Stewart would take cash from the nightly deposit and write her own personal check to make the deposits appear proper, according to court testimony. Her checks, however, would bounce.

The prosecution alleged that Ms. Stewart intercepted subsequent bank statements to cover her thefts, but Ms. Stewart’s attorney strongly denied that allegation.

Ms. Stewart pleaded guilty earlier to a felony charge of passing bad checks and was sentenced Thursday by Buchanan County Judge Dan Kellogg.

“Stealing is just morally wrong, not to mention illegal,” Mr. Kellogg said, “and then stealing from a nonprofit agency, your employer, that just stinks the place up.”

Mr. Kellogg then sentenced Ms. Stewart to two years of probation. He also prohibited her from having a checking account and required her to enroll in a money management program and maintain her medication regimen. Ms. Stewart will have a felony conviction on her record, and she could serve up to four years in prison if she doesn’t complete probation.

Ms. Stewart’s attorney, Terri Lowdon, said her client has never been able to explain why she stole the money.

She said she has no drug or gambling problems and used the money for regular expenses. She has since been treated for emotional and mental issues.

Ms. Lowdon also said Ms. Stewart began taking the cash as a convenient way to cash checks, but she quickly fell behind. Ms. Stewart hoped to catch up but knew she would be caught, Ms. Lowdon said.

“There is no excuse for what she did, and she is not trying to make any excuses,” Ms. Lowdon said.

Ms. Stewart was sentenced in September 2008 — two months before being hired at the YMCA — for two separate misdemeanor passing bad check charges in Gentry and DeKalb counties. She received probation in the Gentry County case and a fine in DeKalb County.

“She began stealing the money from the YMCA the day after she was hired by them,” said prosecutor Kristina Drake.

Joe Blumberg can be reached

at joeblumberg@npgco.com.