An Ansonia woman who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $20,000 from a parent-teacher organization may see the case against her dismissed if she stays out of trouble.
The woman, Ansonia resident Kelly Kahyaoglu, pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree larceny in April. She faced up to three years behind bars in accordance with a plea deal.
Kahyaoglu, 49, told the Valley Indy she has paid the money back.
She was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday at Superior Court in Milford. Judge Frank Iannotti instead continued the case to Sept. 18 at the request of Assistant State’s Attorney Amy Bepko and Kahyaoglu’s lawyer, Public Defender David Egan.
Bepko said afterward that between now and Kahyaoglu’s next appearance, court officials will determine whether she is eligible to participate in the accelerated rehabilitation program, a special form of probation.
The diversionary program is available to first-time offenders who, after completing a term of unsupervised probation for up to two years, see the charges against them dismissed.
According to court records, Kahyaoglu applied for the program earlier this year but withdrew the application before pleading guilty in the case.
The terms of the original plea deal call for a 10-year prison sentence to be suspended after Kahyaoglu serves up to three years behind bars, followed by five years of probation.
The deal would allow Egan to argue for a completely suspended jail sentence.
She was arrested June 27 and charged by Ansonia Police with a single count of first-degree larceny after a 17-month investigation into allegations of theft from the parent teacher organization at Prendergast Elementary School.
In an arrest warrant, police said Kahyaoglu used a PTO debit card to spend $12,630 for her personal use, and withdrew $9,046.25 in cash using the card as well.
Outside the courtroom Thursday Kahyaoglu said she has made full restitution in the case and hopes to be put on probation, but declined to comment further.
