Waco, TX – Dina Kirsten Plumlee, a former office manager for Lawns Ltd., was sentenced in a McLennan County court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to theft charges involving significant financial misconduct. Initially charged with embezzling $258,000, Plumlee, 47, was placed on deferred probation for 10 years after pleading guilty to a reduced theft charge, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Plumlee had been indicted on second-degree felony theft charges, which carry a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. The original charges alleged she stole between $150,000 and $300,000 from her former employer, Lawns Ltd., where she served as business manager from 2014 to 2019. However, a plea deal with the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office led to a reduction in charges to a third-degree felony.
At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors emphasized the complexity of the case. Assistant District Attorneys Ralph Strother and Duncan Widmann explained that various transactions and accounting discrepancies had made it difficult to prosecute the case to its fullest extent. They noted that the amount of restitution recommended was based on what the prosecution believed they could prove in court.
Judge Susan Kelly raised concerns over the proposed $25,000 restitution amount, which was less than the $30,000 minimum stipulated in the plea agreement. Following discussions in the judge’s chambers, Plumlee agreed to pay a total of $30,000 in restitution. She confirmed that she currently earns $51,000 annually in her role as a call center operations manager.
As part of the sentencing, Plumlee was ordered to make an initial $5,000 payment immediately, followed by two additional $5,000 payments by April 15 and September 1 of this year. Failure to comply with the payment schedule could result in a 60-day jail sentence, and any remaining unpaid restitution could trigger probation revocation and a 10-year prison sentence.
Though Plumlee acknowledged the financial misconduct, her attorney, Matt McClinton, emphasized that she denies stealing the full $258,000 that an audit and police investigation had attributed to her. According to the investigation, Plumlee manipulated company records by writing false checks and using the business’s credit card for personal expenses.
Former Lawns Ltd. owner Lisa Torgersen, who had been the victim of the embezzlement, told local news outlets that Plumlee’s actions had significantly impacted her business. Torgersen revealed that Plumlee had also hired a relative who was later found to have stolen approximately $28,000 from the company. The relative is now serving felony probation for her involvement in the embezzlement.
In Texas, deferred probation allows defendants to avoid a formal conviction on their criminal record if they successfully complete the terms of their probation. For Plumlee, this means that if she fulfills the payment obligations and other requirements, her felony conviction will not appear on her record. However, any failure to meet these terms could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
