SPRINGFIELD -- A former employee of The Republican pleaded guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from the newspaper employees union and has been ordered to repay most of the money and serve a short sentence behind bars.

Edward Springer, 49, was back in Hampden County Superior Court Monday where he pled guilty to the charge of committing larceny over $250 by a single scheme.

He was sentenced to two years in Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, with 30 days to be served and the rest suspended with three years probation. Springer was told to return to court May 26 to begin his sentence.

Judge Mark D. Mason ordered Springer to repay $86,558 over three years as a condition of his probation.

Last summer, an indictment was filed against Springer alleging he embezzled $108,000 from the newspaper employees union, for which he served as treasurer, while he worked at The Republican.

Edward Springer.

Issues with Springer's financial management came to light several years ago after an audit of the newspaper employees association by the U.S. Department of Labor. The audit found several record keeping and reporting violations by Springer.

The audit determined that, in fiscal year 2007, checks allegedly canceled were not turned over to the Department of Labor.

"You provided copies of checks printed out from the bank, but some checks that showed being cleared on the bank statements were not provided," a May 15, 2009, letter from the investigator to Springer states.