NORWICH – A former NBT bank teller who admitted to stealing about $67,000 from her employer was sentenced to state prison this week.

In an unusual move, Kimberly N. Aitken, 27, of Norwich, pleaded guilty to second degree grand larceny March 5, throwing herself at the mercy of the court without any sentencing agreement with prosecutors.

Chenango County Judge Howard Sullivan sentenced Aitken to one and a half to four and a half years in state prison Monday afternoon.

First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee had asked Sullivan to sentence Aitken to two to six years.

Defense Attorney Leslie Lewis of New Hartford told the court his client had already served more than six months in the Chenango County Correctional Facility and had a request for Aitken to serve the rest of her sentence at the local jail denied.

Aitken, who was previously released pending the sentencing, was handcuffed and immediately led from the courtroom to begin her prison term.

“When somebody who has never been in jail is placed in county jail for six months, it is a traumatic and an eye-opening experience for them,” said Lewis.

Aitken apologized in court for her crimes and recalled how difficult she found incarceration.