Displeased and upset, the victim of a long-term scam pleaded with the court this week to sentence an embezzler to jail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what he did was terrible,\u201d the victim told District Court Judge Todd Plewe. \u201cI think he needs to go to jail.\u201d<\/p>\n
A former Sears franchise owner in Cortez, the victim said that Zachery Bane, 28, embarked on an elaborate daily scheme, which lasted for months, to bilk the store out of thousands of dollars. The victim claimed Bane, a former Sears employee, even used his own phone number to fabricate customer accounts to return merchandise for cash.<\/p>\n
Bane didn\u2019t address the court at a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, June 30. He sat with his hands clasped atop a table, shifting back and forth in his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrankly, I would never hire you to handle money,\u201d Plewe told Bane. \u201cThis was a long-term scheme to steal from your employer, and I understand why the victim is frustrated and angry.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Plewe said his hands were tied, because the plea deal offered by prosecuters didn\u2019t require a jail sentence. Bane was sentenced to five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty this year to misdemeanor theft charges. The plea deal includes a 48-month deferred judgment on a felony theft count.<\/p>\n
Despite the victim\u2019s opposition, Assistant District Attorney Sean Murray recommended the court accept the plea deal.<\/p>\n
According to court records, Bane was charged in connection to a six-month embezzlement scheme. He was accused of stealing up to $100,000 from the local Sears store.<\/p>\n
In a letter to the court, the victim wrote that the criminal actions caused her to lose a $350,000 franchise investment, stating that Bane \u201cdeliberately\u201d produced fraudulent store returns for cash and provided free gift cards to friends to buy televisions, mattresses and tools.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutors, total restitution could surpass $15,000. A restitution hearing is set for Sept. 18.<\/p>\n