MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) -- A Mason City woman accused of filing fraudulent Medicaid claims for clients must serve 18 months on probation and pay restitution of more than $2,000.

Sixty-six-year-old Catherine Weitzel received a deferred judgment Friday after entering an Alford plea in November to a charge of fraudulent practice.

Under an Alford plea, defendants don't admit guilt but agree that evidence likely exists for a conviction.

A deferred judgment means charges will be expunged from her record when probation ends.

The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports Weitzel's defense attorney requested a deferred judgment citing no criminal history and her standing in the community.

She's a former director of Parents United of North Central Iowa Incorporated, which provided treatment to victims of child sexual abuse and their families.