A Buchanan woman who embezzled thousands of dollars from a local healthcare network in which she was an employee will spend time in jail.

Juana Iris Montalvo, 29, of Buchanan, was sentenced Monday in Berrien County Trial Court to three years on probation on one count of attempted embezzlement. She must serve the first 45 days in the Berrien County Jail.

According to court documents, Montalvo worked as a billing specialist for InterCare, a community healthcare network with multiple centers in southwest Michigan providing healthcare services.

A forensic audit found that Montalvo, while working in the Eau Claire office, embezzled approximately $3,500 from June 1, 2012 to April 1, 2014. She did this by taking payments from customers and then keeping a portion of the payments, according to court documents.

InterCare paid approximately $14,000 for the professional audit, an amount the company requested that Montalvo have to pay as restitution.

Montalvo’s lawyer, Andrew Burch, said he doesn’t believe Montalvo should have to pay for the cost of the audit.

Judge Dennis Wiley disagreed and ordered Montalvo to pay back what was embezzled plus the cost of the audit, bringing the total to more than $17,700.

“I think they are entitled to be compensated for that as disproportional as it may seem,” he said, referring to the cost of the audit versus how much was embezzled.

Burch said a portion of the money his client took was used for gambling.

Wiley also required that Montalvo be assessed for a possible gambling addiction.

Montalvo apologized to her former employer and family for what she did.

Wiley said she had no prior convictions.