Bellevue Arts Museum embezzler sentenced to prison

By Peyton Whitely

Seattle Times staff reporter

The former chief financial officer of the Bellevue Arts Museum was sentenced to nearly two years in prison today after pleading guilty to embezzling about $300,000 from the museum.

Janet Ellinger also was ordered to pay $334,949 in restitution for money she stole over about 1 1/2 years beginning in 2005.

"There were a lot of reasons for taking the money," Ellinger told Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell, "but absolutely no excuse."

The judge said he had considered various aspects of Ellinger's crimes, and that she'd apparently led an exemplary life before the embezzlements, but he couldn't justify imposing a sentence outside the standard range under state sentencing guidelines. The guidelines call for a sentence of from 22 to 29 months in prison.

Ramsdell chose the lower end of the range, ordering Ellinger to serve 22 months. She is to begin serving the sentence Aug. 14.

The restitution Ramsdell ordered includes attorney's fees and other costs. The amount was adjusted downward to reflect credits amounting to about $10,000 from the withholding of Ellinger's last museum paycheck among other things. Accounting records determined Ellinger actually took $294,573 from the museum, according to court documents.

Ellinger, 54, was charged with 38 counts of theft in November and pleaded guilty to eight of the counts in May, with the other counts dismissed.

Ramsdell said he did have one question.

"Where, pray tell, did all that money go?" asked the judge.

Ellinger's attorney, Olaf Hansen, replied that the money generally went for tuition payments for her son, house improvements and that Ellinger spent some of the money on herself.