A Carol Stream woman has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for stealing thousands of dollars of jewelry from a quadriplegic woman under her care.

Latasha Powell, 36, of 512 Alton Court, was sentenced Wednesday to 42 months in prison by DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Robert Anderson.

Powell was found guilty of three counts of theft and  two counts of financial exploitation of an elderly or  disabled person in a bench trail before Anderson on June 10.

Authorities said while Powell worked as a caregiver, she stole jewelry from the home of a 61-year-old quadriplegic woman in Bensenville.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett called  Powell’s actions “deplorable.”

“Our victim, a 61-year-old quadriplegic woman, put her trust, confidence and even her well-being into the hands of Latasha Powell,” Birkett said “Ms. Powell repaid that trust with lies, deception and theft.”

Bensenville police said Powell stole merchandise from the victim’s home, including jewelry, from April through July 2006, and sold it at pawn shops. Police said Powell, on more than one occasion, broke into the  victim’s home and stole valuables. She was arrested in December 2006.

The jewelry was valued at between $6,900 and $13,000. Police said none of the jewelry has been recovered.

After the court hearing, Powell was immediately taken into custody to begin serving her sentence.