Man Who Stole Bill Validators Gets Probation

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A former Coca-Cola employee has pleaded guilty to stealing more than 700 bill validators from vending machines in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore.

James Thomas Coleman, 36, formerly of Alexandria, Va., entered the plea on Tuesday. The Capital of Annapolis reports that he was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and a year of unsupervised probation.

Bill validators process paper money in vending machines.

Prosecutors say Coleman removed 767 of the validators and sold them on eBay. The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. estimates the stolen devices were worth at least $76,000.

Coleman currently lives in Illinois.

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