Cody woman sent to prison for embezzling more than $30K

A 44-year-old woman has been sentenced to three-to-five years in prison followed by five years of probation for stealing more than $30,000 from a Cody businessman in 2016 and 2017.

The Powell Tribune reports Joy Barela of Cody was sentenced recently by District Judge Bill Simpson.

Barela was accused of embezzling money while she was a bookkeeper for the businessman.

And prosecutors noted that it wasn’t Barela’s first brush with the law, saying she defrauded two other employers roughly 15 years ago.

Barela’s court-appointed defense attorney, Tim Blatt, suggested that his client may struggle with a disorder like kleptomania and said those issues should be addressed.

The judge urged Barela to seek counseling while at the Wyoming Women’s Center in Lusk.