WXIA-TV, Atlanta

ATLANTA — A woman initially accused of orchestrating her husband's assassination as he dropped their son off at day care was released from prison on parole early Monday.

Andrea Sneiderman, 38, of Dunwoody, Ga., was sentenced in August to five years in prison for nine counts of perjury and making false statements in connection with the November 2010 death of her husband, 36-year-old Russell "Rusty" Sneiderman. Judge Gregory Adams of DeKalb County Superior Court gave her credit for almost a year's worth of time that she spent in jail and under house arrest until murder charges against her were dismissed July 29.

She was eligible for parole at 20 months, a third of her sentence. In April, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles determined that she should serve at least 22 months of her sentence.

Her son was 4 years old at the time of her conviction and her daughter was 7, and she is expected to be reunited with them. Her parents have cared for them since her arrest.

Her former boss, Hemy Neuman, was convicted killing Rusty Sneiderman in March 2012 but was found mentally ill. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors, who had asked for a 20-year sentence, maintained that Andrea Sneiderman was having a romantic relationship with Neuman and that she repeatedly lied about the relationship, which they contended hindered the investigation into her husband's death. Sneiderman and her defense team repeatedly denied that any sexual relationship and said police bungled the investigation

"In hindsight I should have told Rusty about his advances," Andrea Sneiderman said during her trial. "I should have quit my job, filed a report with HR and hid from Mr. Neuman." She said she regretted sharing personal feelings with Neuman but denied having sex with him.

Andrea Sneiderman was released at 12:22 a.m. ET Monday from Lee Arrendale State Prison in Alto, Ga., according to a Georgia Department of Corrections spokesman.

She was one of the prison's few inmates who had a college degree and reportedly spent some of her time behind bars helping several fellow inmates earn their high school equivalency diplomas.

In August, Andrea Sneiderman's lawyers said she would appeal her sentence, but in December a judge denied her lawyers' request that she be freed on bond pending her appeal. Also in December, a civil suit for wrongful death that Rusty Sneiderman's parents and brother filed against her was settled; its terms were not made public.

Contributing: The Associated Press