BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A central Vermont man will serve 18 months in federal prison after admitting to defrauding his employer out of over half a million dollars.
It happened in 2019 and again in 2022. Federal authorities say Robert McLane, 36, of Websterville, diverted vehicle suspension lift kits he ordered through his employer, Formula Nissan, to sell for his own gain.
They say he bypassed the Barre dealership’s inventory system, ordering 200 of the kits at upwards of $2,900 each and then selling them marked down on Facebook. It cost the dealership around $575,000.
McLane pleaded guilty in June to mail fraud and was sentenced Thursday in Burlington. In addition to prison time, he must pay $566,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.