A federal judge sentenced a former Moorhead man Monday to 30 days' home confinement for embezzling from the U.S. Postal Service.
Brian Daniel Schmidt, 29, Rosholt, S.D., also was ordered to repay about $7,800 in Postal Service funds he stole at a Fargo convenience store.
Schmidt managed a South University Drive Stop-N-Go store that provides postal services, court records say.
Schmidt pleaded guilty in February, telling U.S. District Judge Rodney Webb that he stole the money to "make ends meet."
Schmidt also gave postal inspectors a signed confession in which he said he intended to repay the money, but got further behind.
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"I definitely want to make sure this gets paid back," Schmidt said during his sentence hearing. "I want to take care of it."
An indictment says Schmidt stole the money during the first seven months of 2002.
Post office officials discovered the money missing during two audits.
"Your home is going to be your jail for 30 days," U.S. District Judge Rodney Webb said. "Don't screw this up because the alternative is jail."
Webb's detention order will allow Schmidt to leave his home for work.
Webb also ordered Schmidt to complete three years of supervised release.
Schmidt will make restitution with the store he once managed. The store had to cover the Postal Service's loss to keep its postal contract, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Zent at (701) 241-5526
