WOOD COUNTY (WAOW) -
A Wood County woman has pleaded no contest to stealing $1.3 million from her employer.
Bonnie Hartle, 42, entered the plea Tuesday in Wood County Court. She was charged with 25 felony counts of theft. Investigators said Hartle took money from Weiler Convenience Store in Marshfield during a 10-year period.
After pleading no contest, Hartle was sentenced to one year in jail and 30 years probation. She was also ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. Hartle paid $50,000 of that money Tuesday.
Her attorney said Hartle had a gambling problem and all the money she took is gone.
Investigators say the money was taken between 2000 and November 2011. Officials at Weiler Convenience Store told Newsline 9 Hartle was a manager at the time the money was taken.
"This is just not right that it happened, it should never have happened and it blows my mind really that someone could do that," said Krystal Richardson, an employee at the convenience store.
Investigators estimated Hartle stole $1,000 from the store each week.
Store officials say it wasn't easy to pinpoint who took the money.
"They didn't want to lean towards her because Kelly Weiler, one of the owners, had grew up with her and didn't really want to look in that direction," said Richardson.
Richardson told Newsline 9 the store is now taking extra steps to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.
"We look at things a lot more, keep an eye on things a lot more and that the biggest way I think everything is really tracked and watched," said Richardson.
Hartle has up to 60 days to report to jail.
