PARIS – A former office manager at a substance abuse counseling business will spend three months in jail after pleading guilty to embezzling from the organization.

Katherine Barrucci, 34, of 6 Bolster Place in Norway, pleaded guilty in Oxford County Superior Court to Class B theft and Class C theft from Common Ground Counseling. Justice Roland Cole sentenced Barrucci to serve 90 days of a three-year sentence and pay a $1,000 fine. Barrucci must also serve two years of probation, when she must not possess illegal drugs and attend substance abuse counseling.

Barrucci was indicted on the charges in June. The plea dismissed counts of Class C forgery and Class D negotiating a worthless instrument.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Beauchesne said the owner of Common Ground Counseling noticed theft from envelopes containing counselors’ fees that were brought to the office, and that Barrucci left the office and never returned after the owner started making calls about the theft.

“She was the one person who had access to these envelopes when they came in,” Beauchesne said.

Barrucci was accused of taking $12,270 from the business between January 2005 and October 2007, as well as depositing $1,104.26 in checks from Common Ground into a personal bank account.

Barrucci was not required to pay restitution to Common Ground. Defense lawyer Maurice Porter said the business’s insurance policy will cover the theft, and that Barrucci and the owner were friends.

“They both suffered tremendously because of Ms. Barrucci’s actions,” Porter said. “She feels terrible about it.”

Porter said Barrucci had no prior criminal history.

Common Ground Counseling provides counseling for people whose lives are affected by alcohol or drug abuse and has offices in Norway, Fryeburg and Mexico.