A former billing and enrollment technician with Owings Mills, Md.-based CareFirst was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in an embezzling scheme against the insurer.

Stepney Turner, 34, of Baltimore, Md., will also serve two years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

In November 2009, Turner pleaded guilty to embezzlement from a health care benefit program, admitting that from at least June 2001 she caused 84 checks to be issued by CareFirst in amounts ranging from $335.59 to $3,956.13, officials said. The checks were purportedly to pay refunds to CareFirst’s Maryland customers.

The premium refund checks were made payable to 10 co-conspirators, allegedly including Melvin Turner, Stepney Turner’s husband. At the direction of Stepney Turner, the payees cashed the checks and were provided a small fee in return, officials said, with the Turners receiving the majority of the money from the checks, which totaled $234,964.11.

Five co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and been sentenced and Melvin Turner is in federal custody awaiting trial.

Three other conspirators in the scheme have been charged, but remain fugitives, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.