A former Emory University employee admitted Tuesday to stealing computers from the school and reselling them on eBay, court officials said.
Kent Spicer, 48, of Ellenwood, was ordered to serve four years behind bars from a 20-year-sentence after he pleaded guilty Tuesday to computer theft charges as part of a plea deal, authorities said.
According to authorities, the certified public accountant was a senior business manager for Emory's General Medicine and had worked with the university for about 20 years.
Prosecutors said between May 2007 and July 2011 Spicer would use the university's accounts payable system to purchase nearly 100 electronic items, including laptop and desktop computers, printers and digital storage equipment.
He then would sell the items on eBay and transfer the money from the sales to his personal bank account, prosecutors said.
"Spicer's scheme … was designed to line his pocket and exploit the trust of his long-time employer," DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said in a statement.
Spicer will pay restitution of $150,000 to Emory at a rate of $1,250 per month once he is released from prison, authorities said.
"We feel this plea is fair and just for all parties involved," James said.
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