Former Emporia Senior Center director Lannie Lyman finalized a plea agreement Wednesday in her case of theft from the facility.
Lyman pleaded no contest to the only count of theft against her — $25,000 to $100,000 — during her final pretrial hearing. The agreement as announced includes a 17-month prison term with no probation. Restitution arrangements are pending.
Lyman led the Senior Center from 2014 to late 2017 but was announced as replaced in November 2017 after several thousand dollars were reported as missing during a Lyon County Commission meeting that month. A lengthy investigation indicated funds were actually noticed as missing in September 2017, with total losses initially listed from $80,000 to $120,000 from January 2016 to Lyman’s termination in September 2017. A subsequent audit listed losses at around $115,000 throughout Lyman’s tenure as director.
As part of the overall case, Lyman was accused of writing bonus checks for larger amounts than approved by the Senior Center board. She was also accused of manipulating Quickbooks records and adjusting bank accounts to hide actual balances.
Sentencing is July 9. Trial in the case was set to begin Monday.
