Tucson, Ariz. (KGUN) – Ariz. 10 years of stole taxpayer funds at the federal prison of former Santa Cruz County treasurer Elizabeth Gutfer.

She stole over $38 million from taxpayers in Santa Cruz County.

Elizabeth Guffer pleaded guilty to embezzlement and tax evasion in November.

As she headed to federal court on Monday, she knew that lawyers and prosecutors had agreed to ask the judges in the six and a half years prison, but Judge Rosemary Marquez applied several aggravating factors that kick the sentence to run simultaneously with two other fewer sentences.

Gatfar is currently in custody.

She supported her efforts to sell what she bought with stolen money and stayed freely for months before her sentence to return the money to Santa Cruz County. The inventory includes a large ranch with a gorgeous home.

In court documents, Guffer’s own defense attorney Josh Hamilton described her crime as “one of the stupidest, misunderstood, myopic, and boldest crimes in Arizona history.” Hamilton did little to cover up the crime, but they had not been discovered for about a decade.

In the court, Guffer and her lawyer are truly sorry just before the verdict. However, the prosecutor pointed out that there was enough time for conscience to kick a decade to send taxpayer money to her personal account.

People from Santa Cruz County came to Tucson Federal Court to see what Gutfar’s punishment was. Bonnie Tittle was thinking about money that could not be available at schools that needed repairs.

“I like the fact that she got compensation and the fact that the judge said she cried about her grandchildren, but she said she was playing in the sun for the money the children in Santa Cruz County took from the citizens.”

Wendy Islas says the incident is more than a matter of missing out on money and lacks confidence in the entire Santa Cruz County government.

“I think that distrust will last quite a long time. People want to see transparency. People want to see accountability. There are other cases in our county that contribute to it.

Gutfahr’s lawyer says she was depressed and didn’t think clearly, and after thinking that she could use the stolen money to build an ideal life for her family, she made it with enough business ventures to pay off the money before anyone realises.

Her sentence requires her to pay more than $13 million back income tax and pay over $38 million that she stole. Experts appointed to the related court case are working to recover the stolen money, but so far estimates that Gutfahr may be able to recover about a third of what he stole.