BRENTWOOD, N.H.—A bookkeeper from Hampton, New Hampshire, faced her late husband's law partner in court as she formally pleaded guilty to stealing from the firm.
Deborah Woods spoke in court in Brentwood on Thursday only to acknowledge she was guilty of stealing from the firm Gage Woods and from another lawyer whose books she handled. Lawyer Thomas Gage denounced her in court as a con artist and a liar.
Gage and Woods' husband Stephen were law partners before Stephen Woods was lost at sea while sailing with the couple's 20-year-old son during a storm in 2005.
Deborah Woods admitted the theft to police before her 2006 arrest, but her lawyers tried to have her statements barred from her trial. A judge ruled against her recently.
Prosecutors say that she stole nearly $150,000, but she claims it was less. The amount she will have to pay back will be settled later.
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Information from: New Hampshire Union Leader, http://www.unionleader.com
