Former agency director pleads guilty to embezzlement

SHAWNEE, Okla. (AP) -- The former director of a women's shelter received a 10-year prison sentence after admitting to stealing thousands of dollars from the agency. <br><br>Denorvas "Deno" Stevenson,

Friday, April 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SHAWNEE, Okla. (AP) -- The former director of a women's shelter received a 10-year prison sentence after admitting to stealing thousands of dollars from the agency.

Denorvas "Deno" Stevenson, 35, pleaded guilty late Wednesday. Five years of the 10-year sentence were suspended. But Oklahoma County prosecutors revoked a suspended bogus-check sentence, sending Stevenson to prison for five more years.

Stevenson also was ordered to pay $46,000 in restitution to Project Safe, where he worked from August 1997 until his firing in July 1998.

The charge states that Stevenson embezzled $13,101 between January and June 1998, although state auditors found more than $56,000 in improper expenditures.

Of that, $48,291 was in cash withdrawals from a Shawnee bank.

Project Safe has been an advocate for abuse victims for 14 years. It helps clients with housing, education, counseling and jobs.

Stevenson was among several candidates for the executive director's job. He was fired in 1998 when board members learned he had been making cash withdrawals.