Man gets probation for stealing 'high end' golf equipment

A 42-year-old Gardnerville man was sentenced Monday to three years probation and ordered to stay off eBay after he admitted selling thousands of dollars of stolen golf equipment on the Internet auction site.

Senior Judge Robert Rose, filling in for District Judge Michael Gibbons, sentenced Darrell Eddy to a suspended three-year term in Nevada State Prison and added another $6,000 to $5,000 restitution after the victim testified the golf shop would close at the end of the month because of the theft.

Eddy pleaded guilty to attempted grand theft and faced up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the victim, her husband befriended Eddy and the suspect took close to $60,000 in "high end" equipment from the shop over two years.

Eddy maintained the value of the stolen items was $11,000.

The restitution covered the victims' insurance deductible, plus the additional $6,000 that Rose ordered Eddy to pay at $250 a month.

Eddy, who lived in Gardnerville and at one time volunteered to coach the Whittell High School girls' golf team, said he was relocating to Las Vegas where he had a job offer from a financial firm that was aware of the felony conviction.

"We're not Wal-Mart," the victim testified. "I can't afford not to sell $60,000 worth of equipment over eight months and expect to pay my bills.

"He's going to get away with $5,000, and I go out of business," she said, before the judge added $6,000 to the restitution.

She asked the judge to order Eddy to remove his eBay site, which the suspect said he had done.

He is forbidden to do any online transactions.

She also wanted to judge to order Eddy not to play golf during his probation, but the judge declined.

Rose was ready to send Eddy to jail for 60 days, but said that would violate the plea agreement.

Eddy apologized to the victim "for doing something stupid."

"I didn't realize all the people I hurt. I want to apologize to the victims and to my family and friends," he said.

Eddy said he stole the equipment to get himself out of debt.

"To come back again and again shows a real intent to get into a criminal enterprise," Rose said.