From the courts: District Court

A Havre man received five years probation for stealing nearly $10,000 while working at Kmart and ordered to pay as much in restitution.

James Christopher Dahl, Jr., born in 1986, in District Court in Havre Monday received a five year deferred-imposition of sentence for felony theft and was ordered to pay $9,960 in restitution.

The sentence is part of a plea deal and Dahl can have the offense struck from his record if he abides by its conditions.

Dahl’s offense stems from theft that was discovered back in March.

A Kmart asset protection manager called a Hill County Sheriff’s Office deputy March 14 to report Dahl had stolen about $9,000 from the business during the previous few months.

The manager conducted an interview with Dahl afterward and reported again to the deputy after its completion.

The asset protection manager said Dahl was a night shift supervisor who was going into the safe unnecessarily during his shift and had been taking money for the previous two--and-a-half months.

The store manager reported that there were cash shortages from their safe. Surveillance video showed Dahl going into the cash safe in the evening when there was no other manager around. Money shortages coincided with Dahl’s shifts, the manager reported. Surveillance video showed Dahl putting something down his pants and walking away with clenched fists.

The asset protection manager said they had reports, spreadsheets, video and a signed admission from Dahl.

“The total loss was between $9,000 and $16,000,” court charging documents say, adding Dahl had admitted to stealing about $9,000.

The deputy interviewed Dahl, who admitted he began taking between $400 and $600 per work shift starting in February.