Belleville woman stole half a million from a small business. Now she’s going to prison.

A Madison County judge sentenced a metro-east woman Tuesday to a four-year prison term for her involvement in small business theft.

Christine Rudebeck, 31, of Belleville pleaded guilty in December to stealing more than a half million dollars from Overby Inkjet Solutions in Granite City over a six-year period.

According to the complaint, the theft put the business into a deep financial hole and “crippling debt.” It remains open, however,

“Small businesses are the bedrock of our community, ‘‘ said Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine. “They create jobs, pay taxes, support local charities, and pump money into our community.

“What the defendant did to this small business, its owners and their family, was a flagrant violation of their personal trust and almost destroyed a flourishing local business that took years to create.”

Along with her prison sentence, Rudebeck was ordered to pay $511,926.08 in restitution and a year of mandatory supervised release, according to documents.

Jeff and Todd Overby, owners of the business, responded to the sentencing through a statement.

“We are thankful that justice has been done here,” it said. “A special thank you to our attorney Bill Walker, and the hard work of Assistant State’s Attorney Bruce Reppert. And of course our family and friends, who have supported us throughout this saga.

“Finally we would like to advise small businesses: whoever is handling your finances, be vigilant. Have an outside audit done on a regular basis. And report suspicious behavior so that these kinds of criminals can be stopped.”