Raychell F. Martinez, 37, of Las Cruces, who pleaded no contest last month to charges that she embezzled about $2,200 while working for the Dona Ana County Treasurer's Office, now says she didn't steal the money, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.

Martinez, who was a document technician at the office from February 2007 until her resignation six months later, denied the charges on Thursday and said she only accepted a plea deal because she didn't want the emotional or financial burden of a trial, the Sun-News said.

A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgement that guilt could be proven at trial, the paper said.

Martinez pleaded no contest on Feb. 29 to 13 counts of embezzlement, all but one count a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to five years on probation and was ordered to repay the money, the Sun-News said.

"I know I would have won. I just didn't want to go through with it," Martinez told the Sun-News on Thursday. "I don't need my reputation thrown everywhere for something I didn't do."

According to court records, Martinez was accused of taking money that was to be posted to taxpayers' accounts, but she told the Sun-News in an interview that she couldn't have stolen the money because accounts need to be balanced daily.

Martinez contended that the charges resulted from an attempt to frame her because of complaints she was trying to file against other employees, the Sun-News reported.

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