A former personal assistant to retired newspaper executive Thurston Twigg-Smith pleaded guilty yesterday in state court to one count of first-degree theft and 46 counts of second-degree forgery.

Holly M. Green, 45, paused when Circuit Judge Karen Ahn asked her if she understood that because she was pleading guilty to more than one felony, she could be sentenced to double the maximum jail term to each count and that each of the terms could run back-to-back.

Her lawyer Donald Wilkerson told her the total number of years she could be sentenced is 500. He later corrected himself and told Green the maximum is 480 years, not 500.

After composing herself, Green said she understood.

And when Ahn asked her whether she had gone over with her lawyer all of her possible defenses, Green said, “;I don't really have a defense because I did it.”;

She said she admitted doing it many times and that she is sorry.

Green also asked Ahn to defer her guilty pleas so that she would be able to clear her criminal record.

Ahn will either sentence Green or grant her a deferral in February.

Green is accused of stealing more than $329,000 from her employer by forging checks on the Thurston Twigg-Smith Group account during a 30-month period that began July 16, 2004.

Prosecutors said Green used the checks to pay off five of her personal credit cards. The payments averaged between $7,000 and $8,000 per check.