A Hackettstown New Jersey woman will probably avoid a prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to stealing a large sum of money from comedian and actor Joe Piscopo.

According to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the 40-year-old suspect and her husband stole nearly $171K from Piscopo over a four-year period that started in 2010. During that time, the suspect’s husband was employed as Piscopo’s bookkeeper.

The suspect was able to access Piscopo’s checkbook, and write checks to herself, because of her husband’s job.

The suspect could have been sentenced to several years in New Jersey State Prison if the case had reached trial. That’s because theft of movable property valued in excess of $500 is considered a third degree felony. A conviction on third degree theft charges could have resulted in a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.

However, the suspect avoided prison time by reaching a plea deal with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Instead of spending time behind bars, the suspect will be placed on probation for the next three years.

Meanwhile, the suspect’s husband is likely to be sentenced to three years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing from Piscopo. His punishment was harsher because he allegedly stole more than $75,000 from his employer.

If the bookkeeper had failed to reach a plea deal with prosecutors, he would have been subject to a term of incarceration of 5-10 years in NJ State Prison.

For further information about this case, go to the DailyRecord.com article, “Woman Admits to Stealing from Comedian Joe Piscopo.”