Illinois Bookkeeper Patricia Gaffney gets five years for steal of $127,000

Patricia Gaffney, 54, an Elmhurst, Illinois (IL) bookkeeper, was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted by a jury of theft of more than $10,000 for embezzling approximately $127,000 from an oral surgery office in 2004 and 2005. Despite the verdict, Gaffney maintained her innocence at sentencing, attributing the outcome to her attorneys, the judge's evidentiary rulings, and the dental staff — while acknowledging that she had experienced significant financial difficulties during the period in question.