By Holly M. Rodriguez

“Shocking” and “tragic.”

Those are the words former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder used to describe his feelings about the embezzlement conviction Wednesday of his longtime and once trusted aide.

Ruth M. Jones, who had served for more than 40 years as executive assistant to the esteemed former governor and former Richmond mayor, entered an Alford plea in Richmond Circuit Court to a charge that she embezzled $16,000 from Mr. Wilder’s 2004 mayoral campaign account.

Ms. Jones was indicted by a grand jury on Jan. 4, 2016, and arrested four days later, according to court records.

In her court appearance Wednesday, she entered the plea that acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict her despite her assertion of innocence.

She was given a five-year suspended sentence and ordered to repay the $16,000 to the campaign account, according to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney John Jung.

Ms. Jones began working with Mr. Wilder in his law office in the 1970s, handling receptionist and clerical duties, he told the Free Press during a brief phone interview Wednesday.

She remained with Mr. Wilder, now 85, through his election as lieutenant governor, governor and mayor and then went with him to Virginia Commonwealth University, where he taught and has an office. She retired two years ago.

Mr. Jung said when a new executive assistant was hired in 2015, that person discovered that Ms. Jones wrote 35 unauthorized checks to herself from the mayoral campaign account.

The checks’ memo lines indicated the payments were for consulting fees. However, the fees were not reported to the state, Mr. Jung said. That’s when the police got involved.

Mr. Wilder said he was shocked. He said he never would have suspected Ms. Jones of such a crime.

“This isn’t a happy time for any of us,” he said.

In a statement released to the media, Mr. Wilder said: “Needless to say, this has been a shocking and disturbing ordeal. I am thankful for the cooperation of the Richmond Police Department and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for investigating and resolving the matter appropriately.”

Ms. Jones’ attorney, Jeffrey A. Oppleman, did not respond to Free Press requests for comment.

This is the second time Mr. Wilder’s campaign funds have been a source of legal troubles.

In 2007, Mr. Wilder’s son, Lawrence D. Wilder Jr., pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from mismanaging more than $170,000 left from his father’s 1989 gubernatorial campaign fund.

Mr. Wilder said he does not believe there is any connection between the two incidents.