Posted on Wednesday, 11.17.10

The Associated Press

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/17/1930722/orlando-officer-gets-2-years-for.html

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A retired Orlando police officer convicted of stealing $200,000 in federal money has been sentenced to two years in prison.

A federal judge sentenced 49-year-old Amy Bretches on Wednesday with four months credit for time served. She was convicted in July of two counts of money laundering for embezzling funds from FEMA and the city of Orlando.

Investigators say Bretches opened a credit union account under the police department's name, then registered the city as a Federal Emergency Management Agency recipient tied to that account.

Federal money meant for Orlando's emergency management office in 2004 reportedly flowed instead to Bretches, and eventually out of that account.

Bretches retired in March, but served previously in the school resource unit.