Shala
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WILKES-BARRE — A former Lehman Township man charged by Kingston police detectives of using the account of Champion Builders Inc. to purchase merchandise at home improvement stores was re-sentenced this week in Luzerne County Court.
President Judge Michael T. Vough re-sentenced John Michael Shala, 46, to one to two years in state prison followed by five years probation on a single count of theft by deception. Shala was also ordered to pay $72,685 in restitution to Champion Builders Inc.
Court records say Shala used the account of Champion Builders to purchase merchandise at Lowes Home Improvement stores in Columbia, Lehigh, Bucks and Dauphin counties from January to February 2020.
Shala was re-sentenced based upon an opinion by the Pennsylvania Superior Court in March 2024, to determine how he was to pay restitution. Vough accepted Shala’s restitution plan of $75 per month, which was not addressed when he was initially sentenced in April 2023.