A former Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce employee was ordered to pay more than $40,000 in restitution during her sentencing hearing Tuesday for a theft conviction.

Teresa Lynn Scott, 38, of New Richland also was sentenced to 480 hours of community service or 60 days in jail. She has two years to complete the work and five years, the length of her probation, to pay $30,920 to the Chamber and another $10,000 to the chamber’s insurance provider, Old Republic Surety Co.

Chamber officials suspected Scott was stealing from the organization after learning she had spent Chamber Bucks at the Waseca Wal-Mart. The certificates Scott used were marked “winter festival medallion hunt winner,” the criminal complaint said.

A Wal-Mart employee, who is a member of the chamber, called Chamber President Kim Foels on March 10 because the employee knew Scott wasn’t the medallion winner. Scott met with Chamber leaders the following day and admitted she was taking money.

Scott told police she began embezzling money in 2006, the year she was hired as an administrative assistant. She said she took money by issuing Chamber Bucks in her name and the names of her children. She also took money by making charges on the Chamber credit card.

Chamber Bucks are gift certificates issued by the Chamber in the form of checks, which can be used at Waseca businesses that are Chamber members.

“Back in March when the theft was discovered and we began to realize we were the victim of a felony, it was devastating,” Chamber officials said in a victim impact statement. “The Chamber’s activities and good work for the community had to be put on hold for several months. Our dignity and pride was shattered and was replaced with anger and negativity as we realized our trusted employee had deceived all of us over a two-year

period.”