A Shelburne bookkeeper faces up to 10 years in prison for stealing nearly $300,000 from her longtime employer.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Rebecca Armell, 46, pleaded guilty Monday to credit card fraud. Armell was charged in December after an investigation found that she allegedly defrauded her employer, the Chimney Sweep on Shelburne Road, where she worked for two decades.

Prosecutors said as bookkeeper, Armell had check-signing authority and began stealing from the company in 2016. She wrote falsified entries in the company’s books to make it appear checks she wrote to herself had been issued to fellow employees. She also misused the company credit card to benefit herself, and charged personal automobile repairs to the Chimney Sweep account. The losses may add up to around $290,000, prosecutors said

Armell on was released on conditions pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for May 1. Armell faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.