Yardley woman gets two years in prison for embezzling $830,000

A Bucks County woman was sentenced to two years in federal prison Thursday for embezzling more than $830,000 from her employer.

Joan Baranek, 57, of Yardley, pleaded guilty last year to charges stemming from dozens of false expense reports she submitted to Levittown-based Airgas Inc., an industrial gas supplier.

Baranek oversaw the company's sales incentive program that awarded gift cards to top performers. But between 2006 and 2012 she reported she had purchased several more cards than she had actually bought - and pocketed the difference.

In addition to her prison sentence, Baranek was ordered to pay $567,504 in restitution to Airgas and $304,003 to the IRS. - Jeremy Roebuck