Much of the money Regene Newman admitted to misappropriating had been earmarked to battle drug addiction and support at-risk youth. She used it instead to treat herself to luxury items.

Newman tried to explain her crimes in court Friday — although, she said, she has struggled to understand them herself.

EVANSVILLE — Regene Newman stood before U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young , having admitted greed was one of the reasons she stole more than $125,000 from nonprofits and public funds while serving as a high-ranking Vanderburgh County judicial employee.

In a few minutes, Young would sentence Newman, 58, to serve 18 months in federal prison on a negotiated charge of wire fraud. That's to be followed by three years of supervised release.

But in this moment, he was asking her questions

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