Former Safety Harbor finance director JoAnne Ryan gets year in jail, probation for grand theft

A year after she was arrested and accused of stealing from the city of Safety Harbor, former finance director JoAnne Ryan was sentenced Monday to a year in the Pinellas County Jail.

[Ms Clearwater]

JoAnne deserves prison not jail. She stole over $200,000 not $128,000 and if she can have $50,000 delivered to City Hall a few days prior to her sentencing why didn't she come up with that money before she stole from the City. She jumped on the $128,000 restitution because it was probably about $100,000 less than what she really stole. She got caught because she went on vacation and someone else opened mail and paperwork in her absence. She returned from vacation bearing gifts for everyone gifts that were paid for with the city's money she stole. A thief is a thief doesn't matter why u did it. You do the crime you do the time. She should thank the City of Safety Harbor for the money she stole, only asking for $128,000 in restitution and allowing her to keep the difference to pay her attorney fees and still come out with a profit!!!!!!

[anonymous]

This is a terrible misjustice to the tax payers, she stole from...a crook is a crook, they come in all shapes and sizes...she is a flat out crook and deserves prison time...she should have thought about her family when she decided to get greedy and rip off the citizens of Safety Harbor....Joanne Ryan you should been sentenced for the maximum amount allowed....your nothing more than a common loser thief.

[the waste continues]

Joanne Ryan was a good person who made an extremely poor choice... a choice that I am sure was compounded/affected by her medical and mental state at the time. I am not making excuses for Joanne, just pointing out the obvious factors that played into this.
Joanne and her family are devasted due to her poor choice. That was a waste.
What is a bigger waste now is putting such a woman in jail where she now is supported by the state. A much better choice, both economically and socially, would've been to have Joanne complete community service and/or be under house arrest. Too bad the hate mongers who have posted on this blog are too focusd on their hatred and quest for vengence don't see that.
Same goes for the powers that be in Safety Harbor who were too blinded by their political ambition to come to a more common sense conclusion.
Come on retards, put it in perspective... Joanne stole money. Money that her family and friends have collected to help pay off and the rest her family will owe for years. Joanne is not a threat to society and as such did not have to be imprisoned to protect society from her.
In this case the punishment in no way fit the crime. Shame on all of you hate mongers... just remember Karma and God help you when it catches up to you!

[anonymous]

Yeah well good people don't lie and steal! I work with people with disabilities and mental problems, that is not an excuse to be a thief. She deserved the full sentence. She got off way to easy in my opinion.