8/5/13 - A Lansing man has been sentenced in connection with an embezzlement scheme involving stolen equipment from a Livingston County-based General Motors contractor. Joseph Shuler of Lansing was sentenced Friday to 1 to 15 years behind bars and remanded to custody. The downward departure of sentencing guidelines was tied to a deal previously reached with prosecutors in which Shuler pleaded guilty to a reduced embezzlement charge but was required to testify against the said ring leader of the group Jeffrey Eastom, which he did. Last month, Eastom was convicted by a local jury of embezzling more than $100,000. He worked as a supervisor for Ideal Setech in Howell, which housed property for General Motors at a time when it was closing plants. Prosecutors maintained that Eastom would manipulate inventory lists of machinery, tools and metal materials between March of 2008 and January of 2010, which were then sold for scrap. Shuler was one of four co-defendants charged in the case - two have already been sentenced to jail time on embezzlement charges and ordered to pay restitution of $471,369. Kevin Bowles of Howell also testified against Eastom as part of plea deal and is set to be sentenced August 15th. (JM)
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