In a strange twist, a woman who had long maintained her innocence in a hard-fought civil theft case pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree grand theft in a related criminal case.
Victoria Jacobs spent years denying she had embezzled nearly $406,000 from her former boss and lover, Anthony Arbanas. She changed direction this week on the eve of her criminal trial before Broward Circuit Judge David Haimes in Fort Lauderdale, and instead negotiated a deal to avoid potential prison time. She faced between 21 months and 30 years in prison if convicted.
