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CUPERTINO, CA (BRAIN)—Doug Dixon, who stole $88,000 worth of inventory from Northern California's Cupertino Bike Shop over a two-year period and sold it on eBay, was sentenced Thursday to eight months in Santa Clara County Jail.

He was ordered to pay $33,960 in restitution, and be on parole for three years after he serves his jail time.

Dixon, a former employee of the store, stole a key and came into the store on Saturday mornings during the shop ride to steal a wide variety of items, including bikes and frames. Store owner Vance Sprock only noticed the thefts when Dixon took some of Sprock's personal stash of vintage boxed Campagnolo components.

"It's sure not much of a penalty for all he really did to me and the shop," said Sprock, who doesn't expect to recover much if any of the restitution judgment. "Of course we're now turning the alarm back on during shop rides, and installing tighter inventory controls. I hope this sad situation can be a lesson for other owners that it's so easy to sell stolen goods on eBay."

—Ray Keener