Masa Embezzler Gets Year In Prison

Going from one of the most expensive restaurants in the country to a prison cafeteria has to be a difficult switch, but Rafael Thomas will have some time to adjust while he's serving his yearlong prison sentence for embezzling nearly $100,000 from Masa.

The restaurant's former bookkeeper pleaded guilty Friday to attempted grand larceny and falsifying business documents for giving himself an $18,000 raise, extra vacation pay, and a bunch of corporate checks. He siphoned money off the books for more than a year and got nearly $100,000 before he was finally caught and arrested.

According to the New York Post, prosecutors said Thomas spent more than half of his ill-gotten gains to pay for his addiction to Internet porn.

"It appeared the defendant spent $52,000 on live Internet adult entertainment," said assistant district attorney Jose Fanjul.

Thomas will not necessarily spend the whole year in prison, though. Including time served, he could be out in half a year with good behavior, but the judge said he would have liked to see Thomas get a longer sentence than the one prosecutors agreed to.  

Once he's released, Thomas' wages will be garnished until the $100,000 judgment against him is repaid.