08/23/2008

Associated Press

A 28-year-old mother of two young children has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for embezzling an estimated $1.6 million from Tacoma-based Milgard Manufacturing.

Lindy Robertson, who once worked as an assistant for the company president at Milgard, was sentenced on Thursday by Superior Court Judge Bryan Chushcoff.

Deputy prosecutor Bertha Fitzer argued for a sentence twice as long, calling it "one of the largest embezzlement cases in Pierce County history."

"She was having the time of her life," Fitzer said.

Robertson's lawyer, Spencer Freeman, argued for a first-offender waiver: 90 days in jail, perhaps with electronic home detention.

Robertson took the money from Milgard's accounts via her company computer, using intricate maneuvers to cover her trail and spending it on clothes, televisions and home improvements. In one month alone, she stole $152,000 from Milgard.

As her crimes were being discovered, she took $20,000 from Milgard and used the money to pay her defense lawyer.

Robertson pleaded guilty in June. She has settled with Milgard after repaying an estimated $1.2 million. Until she was charged with 28 counts of theft and money laundering, she'd never been accused of a crime.

Robertson told the judge she had no excuses for what she did.

"What I did was wrong," she said. "I'm ashamed of myself. I'm sorry, not because I got caught, but because it's a moral wrong."

She said she'd betrayed people who trusted her. She said she damaged her family, her parents, her husband and her children.

Robertson's husband, Jamal Robertson, testified. He talked about the couple's two children who toddled in the foyer outside the courtroom. The oldest is 3.

"I have been with her, and she is very aware of the mistakes that were made," her husband said.

Robertson's psychological evaluation said she might have a personality disorder.

"I think she's remorseful," the judge said.

Robertson was hired in 2003 as executive assistant to Milgard President James J. Sweeney.

Milgard is a division of Masco corp. of Taylor, Mich.

Milgard manufactures doors and windows.