Krista Stephanie Putman, who pleaded guilty in November to five theft charges stemming from the time she was employed by the Woodworkers Credit Union in Aberdeen, was sentenced to 14 months in prison and will pay fines and fees totaling $336,758.63, according to the Grays Harbor County Prosecutor’s Office.

“In this case, the defendant took full advantage of her position at the credit union to benefit financially,” wrote county Prosecutor Katie Svoboda in her sentencing memorandum. “She was trusted and the oversight of her work was minimal.”

Putman was charged with stealing more than $350,000 from the credit union then, the morning of March 29 of last year, starting a fire to cover up evidence of her crime. A subsequent investigation also revealed she had stolen $11,000 from another area business, according to court documents.

“The defendant has agreed to full restitution and sentencing at the top of her standard range,” continued Svoboda. “This is appropriate and the state requests it be imposed.”

As a result of the thefts, the Woodworkers Credit Union, formed in 1955 to serve loggers and other wood products workers , became a part of the Great Northwest Federal Credit Union, which was formed in the 1950s as the Shafer Mill Employees Credit Union.

Grays Harbor County Superior Court Judge David Edwards handed out the sentence Jan. 8. Putman started serving her sentence that day.

An auditor from the National Credit Union Administration made a surprise visit to the credit union March 28, 2016, asking to view documents that could illustrate the theft. When the auditor returned the following morning, there was a fire at the credit union while Putman was the only person in the building, according to Aberdeen Police Lt. Kevin Darst. The following investigation by Aberdeen Police, the credit union and an audit by an independent accounting firm showed that Putman had stolen the $350,000. A warrant for Putnam’s arrest was drafted in mid-July.

According to Svoboda, one credit union member approached Aberdeen Police on Oct. 5, 2016. It was discovered that several withdrawals made were not authorized by the member, ranging from $400 to $3,000. The investigation also showed that Putman created five fraudulent loans in the name of another credit union member in order to cover up $20,000 she had stolen from the member’s account.

“The fraud examination team, using transaction registers and bank and investment statements, recreated the credit union’s accounting records for the period of July 2014 through March 2016,” wrote Svoboda. “As a result of this audit, the examiners were able to identify at least $219,393 in missing credit union funds. These missing funds were linked to transactions made by the defendant.”