Probation for woman who pleaded guilty to stealing money while working at Mason City liquor store

MASON CITY — A Mason City woman accused of stealing over $3000 from a local business has been sentenced to probation.

44-year-old Christina Barnish was charged with second-degree theft. A criminal complaint stated that she was an employee at Prime Wine & Spirits at 1104 North Federal Avenue where on May 17th, she did not take a deposit bag of her employer to the bank, and instead kept the intended deposit of $3224.

Barnish pleaded not guilty  to the charge in July, but entered a guilty plea as part of a plea agreement in November, with prosecutors saying they’d recommended a fully suspended prison term as well as full restitution to the business.

District Associate Judge Adam Sauer agreed with that recommendation when sentencing Barnish on Wednesday in Cerro Gordo County District Court and placed her on five years probation.