One of the many puzzling aspects of Sophina Placencia’s embezzlement of $554,541 from the nonprofit Waianae Community Outreach is how that huge amount went stolen, undetected or unreported, for years.

Placencia was sentenced Monday to four years probation, one year of which must be served behind bars, for thefts that occurred between 2007 and 2013. Placencia also must repay the state Department of Human Services the $554,541 she stole from the organization — which was started by her mother, has since been renamed Kealahou West Oahu and continues to receive about $1 million yearly from the state.

Let’s hope Placencia has learned her lesson, as she indicated — and that Kealahou West Oahu has significantly tightened up its accounting procedures and safeguards against any future misdeeds.