PARIS – A former head housekeeper at Sunday River Ski Resort accused of taking more than $10,000 from her staff had her case filed Thursday in a plea deal at Oxford County Superior Court.

Tammy Holmes, 41, of 210 Rumford Center Road in Andover, admitted to misdemeanor theft instead of felony theft. If she abides by certain conditions, including no contact with on-duty Sunday River employees, not being at the resort and paying $500 to the Maine State Humane Society, she may withdraw her plea and have the charge dismissed in a year, Justice Roland Cole agreed.

Holmes was indicted in June 2007, charged with taking a little more than $10,000 that should have been given to other housekeeping staff at the Newry resort between August 2006 and February 2007.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Beauchesne said Holmes was an executive housekeeper in charge of collecting money to be distributed to her staff at the end of the ski season.

Defense attorney Thomas Carey said he was prepared to go to trial and that several housekeepers Holmes had supervised would have testified on her behalf.

“The housekeepers at Sunday River got every penny that they were entitled to,” Carey said. “She’s really the victim of some poor record keeping on Sunday River’s part and on her part.”

Beauchesne acknowledged, “It would have been a difficult case to prove.”

Carey said Holmes recognized the state could have presented evidence that might have convinced a jury to find her guilty of the felony charge and she didn’t want to take that risk.

The felony charge, which covers theft of $10,000 or more, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison; the misdemeanor covers theft of $500 to $1,000 is punishable by up to 364 days in jail.