The former Cohoes teacher who pretended to have cancer and scammed the state out of thousands of dollars is being sent to prison.

Candice Lambert pled guilty to grand larceny last November, and Tuesday morning in Albany County Court, she was sentenced to one-to-three years in prison for her crimes.

She took over 20-thousand dollars worth of medical benefits and sick time between March of 2002 and July of 2005. The money came from school districts after she cut off her hair and told school administrators she was dying of cancer.

Lambert pulled the scam at Harmony Hill Elementary School in Cohoes, and again in two other communities in New Hampshire.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares, whose office is prosecuting Lambert, says:

"Candice Lambert preyed upon the wonderful community of Cohoes, who embraced her apparent sickness with open arms and generosity. Ms. Lambert will now have significant time to fully understand her hurtful actions and lies."

Lambert's scheme started to unravel when a former Cohoes colleague saw an article profiling Lambert in a New Hampshire newspaper, touting her dedication as a teacher while battling cancer - while she was supposed to be on disability retirement here in New York.