Troy

A woman who embezzled nearly $368,000 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute over six years will spend the next 90 weekends in jail.

Christine Dickson, 56, of Troy was blasted as a "consummate con artist" by a prosecutor who urged she receive state prison time at her sentencing Friday in Rensselaer County Court.

Judge Debra Young disagreed, saying she believes Dickson is "genuinely remorseful" and will work to pay back RPI, her former employer of 14 years, the $25,000 that was not covered by insurance.

Dickson has held a job since her arrest, her attorney Joseph Ahearn told the judge in asking for the punishment of 90 weekends in the Rensselaer County Jail.

Young also sentenced Dickson to five years of probation. And she warned the defendant she would send her to state prison if she violates conditions of the probation or fails to pay back RPI monthly installments of $416 starting Jan. 1.

"This is your opportunity to make good and I expect you to do it," the judge told Dickson.

"I will, ma'am," Dickson said.

Earlier, when given a chance to speak, Dickson told the judge she was sorry and that she will carry the memory of her crime for the rest of her life.

"If I see someone that I know, I can't even look them in the eye," Dickson said. "I am ashamed of what I did. ... I promise you your honor, you will never see me back in here again."

An internal investigation at RPI revealed Dickson used the school credit card to steal $367,901 between November 2003 and December 2009. The school found "purchasing and travel logs containing forged signatures" dating back to 2005.

First Assistant District Attorney Art Glass said Dickson stole more than $230,000 of the money by giving herself cash advances. Ahearn told the judge most of his client's withdrawals were at Saratoga Casino and Raceway and other gambling venues. He said he does not believe Dickson has been to casinos in more than three years.

Glass said Dickson "had her hands in the cookie jar and was stealing left and right" for nearly half the 14 years she was employed at RPI as a business coordinator in the School of Architecture.

Speaking about the cash advances, Glass told the judge "Where did that go? We don't know and we never will. How much has she repaid? Zero."

Glass highlighted a pre-sentencing report compiled by a probation officer who interviewed Dickson and found her expressions of remorse to be disingenuous.

"This defendant is not remorseful. This defendant is not contrite. This defendant is not sorry — other than the fact that she got caught," Glass told the judge. "This defendant is the consummate con artist, your honor, and my fear is she today is conning this court."

Prosecutors said Dickson had an elaborate system to hide the credit card charges, but was thwarted when she was selected for jury duty. Odd purchase authorizations went through to her immediate supervisor, Dale Masten, which sparked the investigation. Masten, who in 2003 was named a Pillar of Rensselaer — the highest honor the school gives employees — was also fired.

RPI canceled credit cards for faculty and staff in June 2010.

rgavin@timesunion.com • 518-434-2403 • @RobertGavinTU