A former Butler County car dealer was sentenced today on 13 fraud-related cases. He avoids state prison, but will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution out of his paycheck.

George Sgro, 60, of Center Township will spend 11½ to 23 months in the county prison and was ordered by Judge William Shaffer to pay $305,800 in restitution to victims.

Sgro earlier pleaded guilty to multiple counts each of deceptive business practices, theft by deception, bad checks, false application and tampering with records.

He formerly owned Route 38 Motors.

State police said he sold cars without satisfying outstanding loans on them, sold cars for owners but didn't turn the money over to them, or sold cars and never got a title transferring ownership. He also was accused of bad business dealings with several other car dealerships.

In one case, authorities said, Sgro took a loan of $182,000 from a Butler Township car dealership to buy vehicles at an auto auction. Sgro used duplicate titles to sell the vehicles and never repaid the dealership, police said.

As a condition of his sentence, Shaffer ordered Sgro's wages be attached for his restitution. Sgro told the judge he has agreed to let his current employer send 60 percent of his paycheck to the courts.

He will start serving his prison time July 3.