A guilty verdict on unlawful imprisonment charges was reached Monday against a Corunna woman who authorities say kept her disabled adult sister locked in a closet.

A Shiawassee County jury on Monday also found Candy Lawson guilty of vulnerable adult abuse and embezzlement. Prosecutors say she stole disability benefits that were intended for her sister Dianna, who is unable to hear or speak. Lawson faces up to 35 years in prison when she is sentenced Oct. 27. Prosecutors say Lawson gave her sister little food, water or clothing and that she weighed just 71 pounds when she was discovered by a construction worker in 2015.

Lawson took the stand in her own defense last week, saying the space her sister was kept in was a room, not a closet. She said she needed to lock her sister in at night because she would otherwise wander off. Lawson denied restricting access to food. The jury, which thought otherwise, came to a verdict after less than two hours of deliberations. Lawson's lawyer plans an appeal. (JK)