YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - A Boardman woman who admits to stealing more than $170,000 from her former employer apologized as she was sentenced by a judge.

Fifty-one-year-old Lori Lamb apologized for stealing from her former employer, Morris Drain Service, Incorporated on Simon Road.

The former officer manager pled guilty to felony theft and was ordered to pay back $124,000 as part of her sentence that included five years probation.

"The money taken was used to ease the financial hardship with thousands of dollars of medical bills as well as my drug addiction problem of pain pills," Lamb said.

Mahoning County Judge Lou D'Apolito made it clear that there was no excuse for what Lamb did to her employers who she admits treated her like family.

"I am telling you that i will send you to prison if you do not do what I ordered you to do and what you promised to do," Judge D'Apolito said.

For the victims, Lamb's crime nearly cost them the family business that has been in operation since 1947.

"One of the ways that she was caught was we got a CD from Huntington Bank that showed all the past checks. She was writing checks to herself left and right," said Ron Morris, owner of Morris Drain Service.

"It started with the cash and as they started looking into the books they found out that there was significant amounts, thousands of dollars a week that was going out in her name," said Sheri Morris, owner of Morris Drain Service.

The Morris family says this should serve as a warning to other business owners to be vigilant and personally check your company's financial records every month because trusting anyone too much with what you worked for could cost you.