A former Lufkin veterinary clinic bookkeeper was sentenced on Wednesday to 13 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution for stealing more than $350,000 from the business.

Melissa “Missy” Suzanne McCleskey, 33, stood before state District Judge Barry Bryan for the hearing after pleading guilty in December to a first-degree felony theft charge without recommended punishment.

The 90-minute hearing included testimony from several witnesses. A pre-sentence investigation was conducted prior to the hearing.

McCleskey turned herself in last December after admitting to stealing the money from East Texas Veterinary Clinic Incorporated. According to an arrest report, McCleskey kept the books for both Lufkin locations of East Texas Veterinary Clinic, Inc., which included the East Texas Veterinary Clinic on U.S. Highway 69 south and Lone Star Veterinary Clinic on Brentwood Drive.

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