EVANSVILLE — Regene Newman, the former high-ranking Vanderburgh County judicial employee who admitted to a slew of financial crimes, was sentenced on Friday to 18 months in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young dispensed the sentence after a roughly 90-minute sentencing hearing in Evansville's federal courthouse on a single count of wire fraud.

Newman, former finance director in the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office and business director of Vanderburgh County Community Corrections , had admitted to misappropriating more than $125,000 — much of it meant to battle drug addiction and support at-risk youth — to treat herself to shopping sprees, luxury items and other freebies. The crimes were carried out over a period of years.

In court Friday, Newman and her att

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