Rick Eddleman sentenced to six years

Rick Eddleman, who embezzled millions from Decipher, was sentenced today to more than six years behind bars.

This information comes from Jennifer Newman, the in-court clerk for the Circuit Court in Norfolk, Va. In a brief phone interview today, she told me that Eddleman was sentenced to 36 years in prison. All but 77 months of that term was suspended, though, meaning that Eddleman will serve six years and five months in prison.

Newman also told me that once he's released from prison, Eddleman will remain on probation until he's paid $910,000 in restitution. She noted that when he's again employed, 25 percent of Eddleman's net pay will go toward paying restitution.

Newman said she was in the courtroom when Eddleman was sentenced and that he had no reaction — "none whatsoever" — to the sentence. "He accepted full responsibility," she said. "His main concern, he said, was just paying restitution back." No doubt that would be my main concern, too, if I suddenly owed someone $910,000.

Eddleman, less you forget, stole a whopping $8.9 million from Decipher through various means, including paying himself double his scheduled salary, making improper loans to himself that he never repaid, and other nefarious methods. His inexcusable behavior ravaged the company and incurred such severe losses that 90 people at Decipher lost their jobs.

Although the image above of "Data Laughing," taken from the Star Trek CCG that Decipher once produced, reflects my happiness that justice was served, today's events were bittersweet. The money that Eddleman embezzled has not magically reappeared. The lives he threw into turmoil have not suddenly calmed. Prison time can be served and restitution can be paid, but that doesn't mean the victims are suddenly made whole. And that's saddening.

But let this serve as a reminder that with crime comes punishment. Even the white collar perps spend time in prison.

UPDATE: I'm not the only one tracking Eddleman's sentencing. This report, which includes an interview with Eddleman, comes from WTKR television. The Virginian-Pilot also has a report here.