FARMINGTON – A Jay man pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing $15,000 in cash from a Jay gas station in Franklin County Superior Court. He was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections with all but six months suspended, given two years’ probation, and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution.
Ronald Berard, 32, was initially accused in February of stealing more than $100,000 from Fabian Oil Co. on Route 4 in Jay over the last two years.
Berard was charged with theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and indicted by a grand jury on the charge earlier this year.
Berard and his attorney, Woody Hanstein, reached a plea agreement with the state in the case.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson told the court that if the case had gone to trial, company owner Edward Fabian would have testified that an audit showed the amount of pumped fuel did not coincide with the money received.
Fabian then hired an investigator, who was able to determine that Berard began transactions, gave customers their fuel and took their money, then went inside and canceled the transactions and pocketed the money, Robinson said.
Robinson said it was easy for the state to prove that more than $10,000 was taken, but the state was unable to prove that more than $15,000 was taken. The owner can proceed to take Berard to civil court to recover more money if he can prove that Berard took it, Robinson said.
Berard had admitted to taking more than $10,000 over the last six months, Robinson said.
Berard had previously turned over deeds to a snowmobile and tractor and returned $5,000 that was in a bank account, Robinson said. That leaves $4,000 to be paid in restitution, he said.
Justice Joseph Jabar went along with the plea agreement, including the provision that Berard undergo psychological counseling to his probation officer’s satisfaction. Berard will start his sentence at 9 a.m. today.
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