CORUNNA, MI - A retired priest was sentenced to at least five years in prison and must pay $127,000 in restitution after admitting to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from an Owosso church.

The Rev. David Ernest Fisher was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 22, to five to 15-years in prison, must pay $127,000 in restitution and another $992 in fines and court costs, according to the Shiawassee County Clerk's Office.

Fisher, 70, previously pleaded guilty in July to a single charge of embezzlement before Shiawassee Circuit Court Judge Matthew Stewart.

Initially, Fisher was charged with seven counts of embezzlement, but prosecutors dropped six of charges when Fisher pleaded to a count of embezzling between $50,000 and $100,000, court records said.

Stewart previously revoked the pastor's $10,000 bond and remanded him to the Shiawassee County Jail, according to court records.

Fisher oversaw St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owosso for 23 years and retired to North Dakota in June 2015.

Suspicion arose when the church's new pastor noticed some figures were off with the parish's finances, according to officials with the Catholic Diocese of Lansing. The Diocese contacted the Michigan State Police who recommended a forensic audit, officials said.

The audit revealed at least $450,000 was missing, Diocese officials previously said.

Fisher was arrested in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on suspicion of seven counts of embezzlement.

Initially, Fisher was fighting extradition from North Dakota, but later decided to waive the hearing, Michigan State Police Sgt. Mark Pendergraff said.

Church secretary Nancy DeFrenn also was arrested, police previously said. She is charged with a single count of embezzlement from a charitable organization of more than $1,000 but less than $20,000.

She pleaded guilty and is facing a delayed sentence.