AUGUSTA — The former office manager and treasurer at Winthrop United Methodist Church was sentenced to prison Tuesday for embezzling more than $30,000 in church money over a two-year period from January 2013 to January 2015.

Tricia L. Day, 34, of Winthrop was ordered to serve an initial 11 months behind bars, with the remainder of her five-year sentence suspended, and two years of probation. A condition of probation prohibits Day from having contact with the church.

Day received a stay until April 22 to report to jail to begin that sentence.

Her defense attorney, Polly Reeves, said Day needed to make child care arrangements.

Reeves also said Day apologized in writing at the beginning of the case and when she pleaded guilty to the theft by unauthorized taking charge four months ago.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said via email that the state asked that Day pay $31,000 to the insurance company that had paid the church. However, the judge ordered Day to pay $3,000 restitution, which would include $1,000 for the deductible amount the church paid its insurer. Reeves said Day already has paid $500.

When Day was indicted on the charges in June 2015, church Pastor Ned Crockett said Day had worked for the church for more than four years and was fired at the end of December 2014.

“It’s something that saddens the whole church,” Crockett said at that time. “We all cared for her. It’s really difficult.”

The pastor submitted a letter to the court before the sentencing hearing.

Reeves also said Day is hoping she can be eligible for a specialty program offered at the Kennebec County jail, the Criminogenic Addiction Recovery Academy, or CARA, which is aimed at helping people break the cycle of re-arrest by dealing with their substance abuse and criminal thinking.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams