AUBURN -- A forgery and grand larceny defendant was sentenced to a consecutive term in state prison to the parole term she is currently serving for financial fraud involving thousands of dollars.

Lynne Elardo, 39, of Auburn and currently held in the Willard Drug Treatment Campus, Seneca County, pleaded in Cayuga County Court Tuesday for her new sentence to run at the same time as the parole term she is serving. Elardo said she had successfully progressed through the Willard paramilitary-style drug treatment program and she felt she has lost a plea bargain offer for the sentences to run at the same time because of bad representation by Lisa Blair, her former attorney.

"Basically I feel my deal was lost because I was misrepresented," Elardo said. Kevin Taylor most recently represented her.

In separate interviews, Blair and Chief Assistant District Attorney Jon Budelmann said the plea offer was withdrawn at the behest of the District Attorney's office because Elardo faced new charges and not because of any of Blair's actions.

Elardo was sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in state prison for the felony of second-degree forgery by state Supreme Court Justice Matthew A. Rosenbaum. She also was sentenced to a concurrent term of two to four years in state prison for violating her prior sentence with the new conviction.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of The Citizen.