BENTON — A 53-year-old former bookkeeper for the Pinckneyville Rural Fire Protection District has been sentenced to prison.

According to James L. Porter, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Tammy L. Kellerman was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for taking more than $444,000.

Kellerman previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 2 to four counts of mail fraud.

Evidence submitted in court showed that between 2004 and 2013, Kellerman used her position with the fire district to steal funds from them by sending unauthorized checks drawn on the district’s bank account through the mail to pay her personal credit card bills and other expenses. She’s also accused of making false entries in the district’s accounting software to conceal her theft from the board.

In addition to the 33 months in prison, Kellerman was ordered to pay the U.S. $400 in special assessments and to pay a total of $441,390.32 in restitution, consisting of $406,640.32 to the fire protection district and $34,750 to its insurer.

Kellerman was also placed on a three-year term of supervised release to follow her time in prison.