BLOOMINGTON - A former city employee convicted of using a city-issued credit card for personal expenses was sentenced Friday to jail and probation and ordered to repay the city of Bloomington.

Lawanda Giles, 40, pleaded guilty in September to misusing a credit card issued to her as an employee of the city water department.

Judge Robert Freitag sentenced her to 60 days in jail and ordered her serve 30 months of probation and pay the city $3,710.03 in restitution.

Giles will be eligible for credit on her jail sentence for good behavior and she will receive credit for 12 days already serving, so she is expected to spend 18 more days in jail.

The judge granted Giles's request to be allowed to return to her home in Texas. She will report to the jail in Bloomington on Dec. 1.

In a plea agreement with the state, Giles admitted to using a city-issued credit card to obtain more than $3,000 in cash advances and pay personal hotel and rental car expenses.

She pleaded guilty to theft of city funds over $300. A second count of providing false information on a credit slip was dismissed.

The plea deal did not include a specific sentence for Giles, who could have faced two to five years in prison for the offense.

Giles worked for the city water department from July to October 2004. After she left her position for medical reasons in 2004, city staff received the suspicious credit card bills.

Giles was extradited in August from her home in Texas to McLean County. She posted $750 bond, but was required to remain in Illinois.

Giles did agree to cooperate with court services staff in determining the amount of restitution owed to the city.