A 24-year-old woman found guilty of embezzling $170,000 from the town of Pittsville was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Judge S. James Sarbanes in Wicomico County Circuit Court.

All but seven years were suspended for Carla Moore, who worked for the town four years before being fired in 2013. She was found guilty of five counts of fraud-related charges in court last week  and must repay the town $128,000.

An audit revealed transactions didn’t match daily town business during one year.

Moore, whose father, Dallas Moore, serves as a town commissioner, cried when she heard her sentence and apologized for embarrassing her father. She had waived her right to a jury trial.

The mother of a 6-year-old, Moore was arrested in May, following an investigation. She was hired by the town in 2009, and eventually became involved in payroll and bookkeeping duties. In court, the town commissioners, including the senior Moore, testified that they never approved of Carla Moore using town money to make payments on her personal loans. Neither did they lend her money.

Moore’s lawyer, Attorney John Phoebus, asked that his client be allowed to serve 18 months in the county jail. He said she studied at Wor-Wic Community College and had the skills necessary to find a job. He also told the judge her family was willing to sell property to repay the town.

But Ella Disharoon, deputy state’s attorney, asked for more prison time, of at least 15 years, saying the theft caused taxpayers to become victims.