AUBURN – A Superior Court judge called Armour L. Goodman’s theft of money from Washburn-Norlands Living History Center a “betrayal of trust.”

Goodman served as Norlands bookkeeper from February 2000 to May 2002. He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft Tuesday.

Justice Carl Bradford ordered Goodman, 36, of Dixfield to serve nine months in jail of a three-year sentence and placed him on probation for four years following his release.

Bradford ordered Goodman to pay restitution of $33,853.71 to Norlands within 40 months of his release.

Assistant Attorney General Michael Colleran recommended the sentence.

Goodman’s attorney, Woody Hanstein, said his client is a “good and generous and admirable person” who did a bad thing. He doesn’t have a prior record. Hanstein submitted several letters to the court in support of Goodman. He also said his client admitted to police that he had taken the money months before he was indicted and wanted to repay the center then.

Hanstein admitted that Goodman slipped into a pattern contrary to his nature, and it snowballed. The attorney cited several cases where more money was stolen and less time spent in jail.

Hanstein argued for 45 days in jail and six months under house arrest to enable Goodman to work at an inn owned by his life partner and repay the center.

Bradford rejected that.

Goodman and the state reached a deal that capped sentencing and dropped charges of forgery and falsifying private records, in return for the guilty plea. The only thing unsettled was how much time would be spent in jail.

Colleran told the court that shortly after Goodman started working at Norlands, he became embroiled in a scheme of submitting inflated time sheets for hours he didn’t work. While that scheme was ongoing, Colleran said, Goodman started writing unauthorized checks to himself and to Norlands, and skimmed cash and revenues. He also failed to pay vendors and used the money himself, Colleran said.

He also made duplicate banking slips, shifted funds to cover up what he took and failed to pay employee withholding taxes to state and federal government, and failed to forward money to a self-funded retirement fund. He also cashed a certificate of deposit without authorization, Colleran said.

Colleran said the acts were a severe breach of trust. He said the sentence needed to deter others from committing similar crimes.

Prior to sentencing arguments, Norlands representatives spoke in favor of the maximum sentence and about the damage to the center, its reputation and the people who worked there.

Former Norlands Director Judy Bielecki said that when the theft was discovered the affect was similar to a “bomb going off.”

Bielecki said that Goodman lied to her and covered up operating losses over two years and transferred Norlands’ cash reserves to the checking account and spent them. She also said that Norlands had to use its board designated fund of $175,000 to resolve some of the problems.

“The money is all gone; it has been spent,” Bielecki said.

Negative publicity has continued to hurt resources, she said.

Additionally, two employees had to seek counseling for stress during the ordeal, Bielecki said.

Elaine Briggs, a former Norlands’ employee who conducted an internal audit after the theft was discovered, said she was friends with Goodman and he betrayed her trust.

“While Norlands is rich in history and has assets of over $2 million,” Norlands’ Trustee President George Ames said, “We’re cash poor.”

In addition to money taken and $200,000 masked in operating losses, Ames said the independent audit cost about $20,000.

No matter the sentence, Ames said, it could not begin to redo the damage done to Norlands.

At times during the court appearance, Goodman wiped his eyes.

“I’m very sorry for what I’ve done,” Goodman said. He said he wanted to get back to work to repay Norlands.

Bradford said there were several aggravating factors, including the impact on Norlands, its staff and supporters.

Another factor, Bradford said, was a betrayal of trust because people trusted Goodman when he was put in a position of overseeing someone’s money.

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