An Ohio man who was formerly employed as the director of a local Humane Society chapter has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for stealing from the animal shelter and his co-director. In a previous hearing, the 49-year-old man pleaded guilty to three fourth-degree felony counts of theft after being accused of stealing more than $32,000.
The man said he took the money due to his addictive personality, using the funds to pay for renovations on his house. He also allegedly used his co-director's credit card to pay for meals and other purchases, including thousands of dollars in plane fare. He was sentenced to 14 months of jail time for each count, which he must serve consecutively. A judge also ordered him to pay approximately $27,000 in restitution.
The man apologized for his actions and said he has sold all of his possessions to help pay restitution, which raised about $10,000. "I never set out to do this or plan to do this. But I did do this," he explained.
According to Ohio authorities, the man served two years in prison after being convicted of taking more than $750,000 from a former employer in 2006. Prosecutors claimed he used his middle name when applying for the Humane Society job in order to hide his criminal record. The man said he did so because he was ashamed of his past conviction.
After pleading guilty to his most recent arrest, the man was accused of selling pet medication to an undercover Marysville, Ohio, police officer. Shortly after, he was charged on three felony counts "related to selling, purchasing, distributing or delivering dangerous drugs, theft and possession of criminal tools." He has not yet appeared in court on those charges, but it's important that he receive a fair trial on those charges alone, and not on what he admitted to previously doing.
Source: LoanSafe, "Former Humane Society Director Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Prison," Alex Ferreras, May 8, 2012