A Kunkletown woman admitted in Carbon County court on Tuesday to stealing a large amount of money from her church.

Yvonne L. Anthony, 53, of 1670 Lower Smith Gap Road, Kunkletown, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception-by false impression.She admitted stealing over $27,000 from the Salem United Methodist Church, located along Forest Inn Road, in Lower Towamensing Township. She was treasurer of the church at the time.State police at Lehighton filed the charges against Anthony after receiving a complaint.According to Trooper Nicolas De La Iglesia, Anthony fabricated bank documents, falsely claiming a bank error was the cause of checks that were returned for the purchase of malt or brewed beverages in the course of her licensed liquor business, Palm Beverage in Palmerton.The thefts occurred during the time frame of January 2006 to March 2012.On Tuesday, defense attorney Gregory Lee Mousseau, said Anthony wrote checks to cash and then used the money for her business, which he said was failing.Church officials also told De La Iglesia that Anthony possibly took money from cash deposits. They said she handled the cash money collected at weekly services.However, Tuesday Anthony denied that charge and told President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II that she was not the one who deposited the cash from the weekly services.In a plea agreement with the district attorney's office, a charge of receiving stolen property was dropped. Also, the agreement states that the DA's office would not oppose a sentence at the low end of the state sentencing guidelines. The agreement indicates restitution due the church is $27,112.55.Nanovic said that Anthony, as a first offender, faces a minimum prison term of anywhere between three to 12 months up to a maximum of seven years.Mousseau asked Nanovic to defer sentencing so his client could apply for placement in the county's Intermediate Punishment Program.Last year the Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. of Bala Cynwyd filed a civil action in the county court against Anthony seeking damages of $38,825.59.The insurance company is seeking repayment of funds it paid on a claim from the church.The suit alleges Anthony used the stolen money for personal use.Anthony is currently free on bail.