A former Flathead County Sheriff’s Office employee on Friday was given a 10-year suspended sentence for embezzling more than $90,000 from the employees association.

Nicole Fister, 36, of Kalispell owes a total of $90,643.47 in restitution, but provided a check for $9,150 at the end of Friday’s District Court hearing.

According to her attorney Sean Hinchey, Fister and her husband, Nick, a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, sold as many belongings as they could to come up with the money for that initial payment.

Fister previously told a detective that she used some of the money for personal expenses and gave some money to her son and daughter. The thefts were discovered in mid-April.

The money was stolen from the non-sworn arm of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Employee Association, a nonprofit organization that supports charitable causes with the money, which is collected from membership dues and fundraising.

No public or Sheriff’s Office money was stolen.

During her sentencing on Friday in front of District Judge Ted Lympus, Fister gave a tearful apology for her actions.

“To all my coworkers and my friends ... I can’t express how sorry I am for letting you all down and breaking your trust. This ... has not changed only my own life but the others around me,” Fister said. “I am heartbroken by the pain, anguish and shame I brought upon those with this thoughtless act. Although I cannot go back and change the past, I can work for the future.”

She added: “I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.”

Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan had asked for a sentence of five years with the Montana Department of Corrections to be followed by five years of probation, or, if the entire sentence was to be suspended, at least 30 days in jail, but Lympus chose to follow neither request.

In his argument for the fully suspended sentence, Hinchey pointed out Fister’s remorse, the shame and humiliation that she had already suffered, her initial payment that was more than 10 percent of the total restitution and the fact that she had no criminal history.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.