Montvel-Cohen gets wrist slap in theft case

Guam media executive Evan Montvel-Cohen was sentenced to five years of probation today after pleading no contest to a charge of first-degree theft. He will, however, have a felony charge on his record in the case.

Montvel-Cohen, 43, admitted stealing some $30,000 from a Waimanalo landscaping company that he worked for in 2005. He has since repaid the money to the company, Ultimate Innovations, Inc., prior to yesterday's sentencing by Circuit Judge Randal Lee in a Honolulu courtroom.

Additional charges of credit card fraud, forgery and money laundering against Montvel-Cohen were dismissed as part of the plea agreement he reached with prosecutors here.

Montvel-Cohen is known to many readers here for his role as one of the founders of Air America Radio. He left in a storm of controversy amid accusations of overstating his own personal worth and taking out loans from a non-profit organization to fund his investment in the startup radio venture.

He was arrested last year for the recent charge, and accepted a plea deal last month.

Once a thief, always a theif...