A husband and wife who ran a yacht broker business plead guilty and have been sentenced to jail for embezzling over $200,000 from their clients.
According to the Contra Costa Times, the couple faces 8 months in jail for bouncing checks, and improperly managing funds belonging to clients who engaged their services to sell their boats.
They will be eligible for release from jail after serving half of the 8 month jail term, and may be allowed to continued under a house arrest or work release program.
Though it is hard for most people to be sympathetic to someone in the wealthy world of yacht finance and sale, it is said that they were previously hard working and respected members of the marine community in Northern California.
In any case, they seem to have received a fair sentence. Under California embezzlement laws, they could have faced up to 16 months in prison, for what is consider grand theft, stealing something valued at over $400.