A Butler County prosecutor said the best chance of keeping a con artist who targets elderly people from victimizing others is to get her into a program in state prison.

Ricki Lee Double, 32, no known address, was entered into the state prison’s Intermediate Punishment Program Wednesday after pleading guilty in 11 separate criminal cases.

In accordance with her plea agreement, Double will spend two years in the program followed by three years on probation.

According to court records in two of the more notable cases, Double stole money from two elderly residents at a Jefferson Township assisted living facility.

In a different case she conned an 89-year-old woman she met at Walmart into giving her the woman’s credit card and personal identification number.

Both Assistant District Attorney Mark Lope and Double’s defense attorney Charles Nedz agreed that Double’s crimes were fueled by a heroin addiction.

“She doesn’t have a history of violence,” said Lope, who prosecuted the case.

The crimes Double pleaded guilty to included identity theft, theft, forgery, receiving stolen property, trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the terms of program, Double will spend no less than seven months in a state prison followed by no less than four months in an institutional drug therapeutic community.

If she’s successful to that point, she would spend no less than two months in a community-based therapeutic community. When that is completed, she would spend no less than six months in an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program, then at least eight months in a supervised reintegration into the community.

If Double fails during any of these steps, Butler County Judge Timothy McCune would have the option to resentence her on any of the charges.

McCune sentenced Double with a warning that this was her chance to make a substantial change in her life.

“You’ve gotten yourself into an awful mess,” the judge said.

Double during the hearing was already in the Muncy State Prison. She attended the hearing by a two-way video conference. When allowed to speak, Double thanked the judge for the opportunity to be in the state intermediate punishment program.

No victims attended the sentencing hearing. Restitution in all of the cases will be determined later.