A Sault Ste. Marie man, who stole just under $5,000 from his employer last year, received a conditional discharge last week.
Ian Lanteigne pleaded guilty Wednesday to defrauding Atlas Auto Parts in June 2022.
Ontario Court Justice Andrew Buttazzoni heard city police received a complaint on Dec. 15.
Lanteigne, who had been employed with the business for two years, worked in counter sales, assistant Crown attorney Stuart Woods said.
A senior employee noted invoices with credit differences.
There were 17 discrepancies between June 27 and Oct. 6 of last year.
The Crown and defence lawyer Eric McCooeye jointly recommended his 39-year-old client be granted a conditional discharge and be placed on probation.
It would have been a difficult case, and would have taken a lot of court time if the matter had gone to trial, McCooeye said.
Lanteigne has made full restitution to the business, he told Buttazzoni.
If that hadn't occurred there wouldn't have been a joint sentencing submission, McCooeye said.
The prosecutor agreed. "It takes into account that restitution has been paid in full already."
He called the number of fraudulent transactions aggravating.
The accused was "an employee in a position of trust," he said, adding Lanteigne has no criminal record and pleaded guilty.
Buttazzoni said he's "ordinarily not inclined" to give a conditional discharge for an offence that is a breach of a position of trust.
"To your credit, you accepted responsibility at an early opportunity and made full restitution before coming to court," he told Lanteigne.
With a conditional discharge, no conviction is registered.
Lanteigne will be on probation for 12 months with conditions that prohibit him from going to the business or communicating with two people employed there.