Defendant blames stealing on gambling addiction
HOUGHTON -- A Houghton woman, accused of writing thousands of dollars in bad checks, was sentenced to jail Friday afternoon. Twenty-eight-year-old Jennifer Lee Nettell will serve nine months behind bars for her crime.
In June, Nettell admitted to stealing a check and using it to buy goods and receive cash from a Houghton store last fall. A number of similar charges were dismissed for her plea. She’s still waiting to go to trial on another case in Ontonagon County.
Prior to sentencing, a relative of one victim told the court that Nettell had taken everything from the family. Nettell then apologized for her behavior, blaming it on addiction.
“I never realized how bad gambling can get and how it can take somebody's life over and wreck them,” said Nettell. “I can only ask that I can be forgiven and have the chance to fix my mistakes.”
Nettell was also sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay more than $31,000 in total restitution.
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