Paula Deen's Housekeeper Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Chef's Jewelry, Not Recipes

SAVANNAH, Ga. (CBS/AP) The former housekeeper of celebrity chef Paula Deen has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing jewelry from the jolly Food Network star known to fans as the "Queen of Southern Cuisine."

Mary Alice White appeared in court last week to confess that she repeatedly stole jewelry from Deen's Wilmington Island home during her nine months of employment, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Authorities say the Alabama-born chef reported $100,000 worth of men's and women's jewelry missing from her home over several months. On May 5, White was charged with theft after she reportedly attempted to pawn a pair of $18,000 earrings at a Savannah pawn shop.

Paula Deen owns Savannah hallmark restaurant The Lady & Sons, which she started with the her two sons Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has appeared on several TV shows and has written multiple cookbooks on her southern-style cuisine. 

In addition to the 18 months in prison, White was also sentenced to six years probation for her sticky fingers.