CRANBERRY TWP — A former convenience store employee was ordered to pay for more than $74,000 worth of lottery tickets he reportedly stole.

However, an attorney for 36-year-old David Gerbrosky of Ellwood City said his client plans to dispute the restitution tally.

According to court records, Gerbrosky was working at Freedom Market on Freedom Road in Cranberry Township in 2008 when the store owner noticed large amounts of scratch-off style lottery tickets were missing.

The store's owner, according to court records, provided police with store security video of Gerbrosky removing activated tickets. Then, in other security videos the defendant reportedly is shown cashing in large amounts of winning tickets.

Court records say Gerbrosky, when questioned by police, acknowledged taking full rolls of the tickets, scratching them off, then redeeming winners at his place of employment as well as other locations.

Gerbrosky allegedly acknowledged taking "at least $12,000 worth of tickets without paying for them," according to court records.

In July, Gerbrosky pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft. On Wednesday, he was sentenced by Butler County Judge William Shaffer to serve 90 to 180 days in prison followed by six years' probation.

However, as part of Gerbrosky's plea arrangement with the county district attorney's office, the defendant was immediately paroled having made a $2,000 payment toward his restitution.

The total restitution Gerbrosky was ordered to pay was $69,472 to the market and another $5,000 to the store's insurance company.

In lieu of a fine, the judge also ordered the defendant to log in 100 hours of community service.

Gerbrosky was given the opportunity to make a statement in court, but declined.

His defense attorney, Louis Perrotta of New Castle, told the judge that his client suffers depression and sleep apnea. And, he said, two of Gerbrosky's four children suffer health issues so severe that they require their father's assistance.