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DCF Supervisor Sentenced To 17 Years In Jail

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Nov 21, 2008 8:59 am US/Eastern

DCF Supervisor Sentenced To 17 Years In Jail

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ― A former supervisor at the Department of Children & Families has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $1.5 million from the state welfare system.

Violet Jones, who was sentenced Thursday, originally pleaded not guilty to charges including grand theft, but later admitted to the crime.

Police say Jones was able to cover up money transfers she made to electronic cards linked to accounts for welfare recipients. She approved cash payments on 1,725 separate occasions, sometimes as often as four a day. She begged for forgiveness, while the head of Broward's DCF says the stolen money could have helped thousands of needy people in Broward County.

Authorities say she bought two Lexus vehicles and gambled at local casinos with the money. Jones's lawyer and family say she is a good person who suffers from a gambling addiction.

A judge says Jones, 42, must pay $1 million in fines and another $1.5 million in restitution to the state.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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