JACKSON – A Utica woman who pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling at least $1 million from Trustmark National Bank’s main Vicksburg branch over more than four years was sentenced today to 33 months in prison and five years of post-release supervision.

Astrid Warnock, 51, of Utica was also ordered by U.S. District Judge David Bramlette to pay $1.3 million in restitution and to report to a minimum security prison in Florida by noon Jan. 22.

Warnock was accused of taking the money from a vault between January 2002 and March 2006. She worked as the head teller at the bank’s main office, at Washington and Clay streets, during part of that time.

Warnock has been free on $10,000 bond since she entered her plea in August. This morning, Bramlette allowed her to remain free until she heads to prison.

The maximum sentence Warnock could have received was 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

The case against Warnock claimed she took the money in $10,000 increments and created false debit and credit tickets to disguise the embezzlement, a pattern that continued because the tickets were not forwarded to proper authorities at the bank. The theft was not discovered until March.

&#8220She gambled it away and used it to buy cars for herself and her kids. She also used it to pay for a new house,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Eldridge said, adding that &#8220a whole bunch of it” was used in relation to a gambling habit at Vicksburg’s four casinos.

Officials inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office have said the amount taken is believed to be the largest ever handled by the Jackson federal court system.

While Warnock has not disputed the government’s account of how she embezzled the money, some disagreement remains on the amount taken during the four-year period.

Warnock claims $1.1 million was taken, while Eldridge said the total is $1.3 million.