UPDATE: Thursday, February 14, 2013

A former Internal Revenue Service agent in Kansas had pleaded guilty to theft of public money in a deal with prosecutors that may spare her any prison time.

Forty-nine-year-old Becky L. Book of Pittsburg admitted Thursday to receiving more than $26,000 in salary and mileage payments for meetings with taxpayers that never took place.

Prosecutors allege Book claimed she worked 744 hours between March 2010 and April 2011 but actually took those hours off as unauthorized personal time.

The government agreed as part of its plea deal to recommend a sentence of probation, although it is up to U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil to decide what sentence to impose.

Book has agreed to pay $13,000 in partial payment of restitution at her sentencing, scheduled for May 23.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

A former Internal Revenue Service agent in Kansas is expected in court to answer a charge of receiving more than $26,000 in salary and mileage payments for meetings with taxpayers that never took place.

Forty-nine-year-old Becky L. Book of Pittsburg is scheduled to be formally arraigned before a federal magistrate Thursday on one count of theft of public money. A defendant can only plead not guilty at such initial hearings in federal court, but Book is then set to immediately go before a federal judge for a change-of-plea hearing.

Prosecutors allege Book claimed she worked 744 hours between March 2010 and April 2011, when she actually took those hours off as unauthorized personal time.

A lawyer for the former IRS agent did not immediately return phone and email messages Wednesday.