The Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors said in a statement that it is “ready to finally be able to move forward.”

The statement came just days after former administrative assistant Leah Mulholland, 41, was sentenced in Hamilton County District Court on a charge of first degree theft. Mulholland received a 10-year suspended prison sentence, five years of probation, a $1,000 suspended fine and she will have to make restitution in the amount of $193,205.08.

Three other charges — ongoing criminal conduct – influence enterprise, forgery and unauthorized use of credit cards – were dismissed.

She was arrested in February 2020 following a lengthy investigation related to more than $239,586.23 in improper disbursements from the Webster City Chamber of Commerce. She entered a plea of guilty to the theft charge on Dec. 4, 2020.

“The Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce has had to deal with a very unfortunate experience with employee embezzlement and fraud the past few years,” the statement noted. “While the outcome was not what we had hoped for, we are ready to finally be able to move forward and put this in the past.”

The statement said that numerous checks and balances are now in place to prevent another such incident from occurring.

“We are devoted to the future of our community and are excited about the growth and success of our members. Great things are happening in Webster City and we are honored to be a part of them,” the board said in the statement.