A Circuit Court judge on Thursday sentenced Sheron Gibson, 42, to eight years in prison, with seven of those suspended.
Under a plea agreement, the former fire union treasurer pleaded guilty in March to one felony count each of embezzlement and forgery.
Gibson initially was charged with 12 embezzlement counts, but prosecutors agreed to merge them into one, according to court documents.
"I'm sorry for what I've done," Gibson told the judge. "I've lost a lot of friends."
The union - Local 2801 of the International Association of Firefighters - first noticed a problem when a check written to the Muscular Dystrophy Association did not clear, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Vaughn Breedlove said in court.
Gibson stole money for six years, from January 2008 to February 2014, and falsified an audit, Breedlove said.
He used some money to pay personal bills and those for his business, Virginia Fire Extinguishers in Suffolk, which sells, inspects and repairs fire and safety equipment.
Gibson has repaid the union the full amount he stole, court records show.
Gibson worked for the Fire Department from 2003 until June 2014. He was named the city's firefighter of the year in 2009 and the emergency medical technician of the year in 2002.
His attorney, Michael Eberhardt, submitted to the court more than 30 letters in support of Gibson, including some from firefighters and union members.
Margaret Matray, 757-222-5216,
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