ROCKLAND — A Searsmont man who stole approximately $20,000 from Home Depot during the nine months he was employed at the store, was sentenced Dec. 14 to five years in jail. 

Kenneth Cox, 45, was convicted of theft by deception and two counts of theft. His full sentence includes five years in jail with all but 60 days suspended and will serve two years of probation after his release. 

Cox was also ordered by the court to pay the remaining balance $8249.99 in restitution to Home Depot. He began making monthly restitution payments to the business in May 2016, as part of a deferred disposition agreement between the state and defense.

According to the court document, Cox stole nearly $20,000 in store merchandise from Home Depot between April 2014 and January 2015. He used his credit card to buy the merchandise and then submitted returns for the items to obtain store credit, without actually returning the items.

He was arrested by Rockland Police in June 2015.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com