A former Foot Locker employee was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay nearly $26,000 in restitution for taking the company’s money to cover his Internet gambling debts.

Second Circuit Judge Joel August also ordered Bill Im to serve 150 hours of community service.

Im was given a chance to clear his record if he successfully completes probation, but August said he was concerned about the 11 times that Im had taken money from his employer in the case.

Im pleaded no contest to first-degree theft for embezzling while he was employed at a Maui Foot Locker store. The incidents occurred from Sept. 4, 2004, to Jan. 22, 2005, according to court records.

Im has moved to Honolulu and is working as a manager at a military exchange.

“First of all, I am truly sorry for what I have done. It will never happen again,” he said.

Defense attorney Dean Hoe said Im had been transferred to Maui in a manager’s training program and did not have any friends and family on the island and had gotten into Internet gambling.

Hoe said Im lost money and made the “poor decision” to take money from his employer to cover his losses, although he intended to pay it back.

But Im’s losses continued as he tried to win back the money, Hoe said.

Im took responsibility when he was confronted, Hoe added.

“He wants to pay back every single cent that he took from Foot Locker.”

Im had lived a law-abiding life up until the incident but had a “blip” in 2007 for drunken driving, Hoe said.

Deputy Prosecutor J.D. Kim acknowledged Im had taken responsibility for his actions and left the sentencing up to the judge.

“In this case we believe probation is appropriate,” he added.

In an unrelated matter, a 35-year-old Kaunakakai woman was sentenced to five years’ probation and 100 hours of community service for forging and stealing two checks last year.

Second Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza also gave Yvette Faye Uilani Lindsey a chance to clear her record if she successfully completes probation.

In a written statement to police, Lindsey said she had been having a hard time financially and hadn’t been paid in her job for several months.

Lindsey pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree forgery and two counts of fourth-degree theft for the incident on July 8, 2007.

According to court records, Lindsey forged two Molokai Community Federal Credit Union checks to pay for gas at Kalama Service and for groceries at Mango Mart.

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