PLAIN CITY, Ohio (WCMH) — Lyle Bigelow, a Columbus man, has been sentenced to serve 2 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing over $200,000 from a Union County brewery where he was employed.

Court records show that 42-year-old Lyle Bigelow was sentenced on Dec. 13 after admitting to aggravated theft, a third-degree felony. In addition to his prison sentence, Bigelow has been ordered to pay $107,014.92 in restitution.

According to the Union County prosecutor’s office, Bigelow was hired as a line cook at 1487 Brewery in Plain City in December 2020, and swiftly rose to become the brewery’s chief operating officer. In this role, he was responsible for managing the payroll and had access to a company credit card.

Over the course of 2021 to October 2022, Bigelow embezzled around $207,000 by diverting payroll payments into accounts he opened under fake names, which he controlled, and by making unearned payments to himself. He also used the company credit card to make personal purchases totaling $14,973 on Amazon.

Once the theft was reported by the brewery’s CEO to the Union County Sheriff’s office in October 2022, Bigelow was held accountable for his actions. The brewery owner stated in a social media post that the theft nearly destroyed the business, and the amount Bigelow is obligated to repay is what was not covered by the brewery’s insurance.

As part of the plea agreement, two charges of misuse of credit cards and one charge of tampering with records were dropped. Bigelow is expected to be transferred to an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction facility from the Tri County Jail this week, and he will be under up to two years of post-release probation after serving his time.

In summary, Lyle Bigelow’s conviction and sentencing are the result of his theft of over $200,000 from a Union County brewery over the course of nearly two years, nearly crippling the business and resulting in a significant financial loss.