(CENTREVILLE) – A three month jail sentence has been given to 60 year old Carol Kotschevar for embezzling money from two churches.

St. Joseph County Circuit Court officials say the sentence was handed down on Friday. Kotschevar plead no contest in October to embezzling money over a four year period from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Centreville. She was also charged with embezzlement from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Colon, however, that charge was dropped by St. Joseph County Prosecutor David Marvin.

In addition to the three month jail time, Kotschevar has to repay $37,805 to the Centreville church and $15,754 to the Colon church. She must also pay back $17,500 to two different insurance companies that had to pay fiduciary bonds.

Kotschevar was arrested March 5 following a year long investigation by the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department on two counts of embezzlement over $20,000 but less than $50,000. The investigation discovered that between December 2015 and December 2019, the money was misappropriated from the two churches.

The investigation uncovered payments made to several stores, some hotels and to a wedding planning company.

Kotschevar was also fired on Friday from her job as Treasurer for the Village of Centreville.