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Former Mammoth Cave worker sentenced for stealing from park

Police say the worker took nearly $170,000 of funds collected from the public.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A former longtime employee at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for skimming money from the park's recreational fees.

A statement from the U.S. Attorney's office in Louisville says former employee Leslie Lewis took nearly $170,000 of funds collected from the public "by manipulating the fee collection system and the employees she supervised." Prosecutors say Lewis created false deposit documents and used a duplicate check scheme to hide the theft.

U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman says Lewis "stole from one of the most iconic public spaces in our Commonwealth."

U.S. Chief Judge Greg Stivers in Paducah also ruled that the 61-year-old Lewis must repay the stolen funds and spend three years on supervised release after her sentence is completed.

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