SANDPOINT — The trial of an Oldtown man accused of fleecing his former employer of nearly a half-million dollars has been pushed back to next year.

Jasen W. Johnson’s trial on a felony theft charge was to be held last month, but the state and the defense mutually agreed to postpone the proceedings. Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Shane Greenbank had a scheduling conflict and Johnson’s defense counsel, Michael Palmer, needed additional time to review forensic computing and accounting evidence, court records show.

Johnson’s seven-day trial in 1st District Court is now set to commence on Jan. 24, 2011. Johnson faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted of grand theft.

Johnson is accused of embezzling as much as $439,000 from Oldtown Family Foods, where he was a longtime and trusted store manager. Johnson allegedly committed the thefts from 2002 to 2009.

The state argues Johnson used his familiarity with the store’s cash registers and accounting procedures to make hundreds of phony merchandise returns in order to systematically skim money from the store’s tills.

Johnson has invoked his right to remain silent, although court documents indicate that Johnson asserts he is being framed by someone else at the store who used his register log-in code to perpetrate the scam.

The owners of the grocery store have filed a civil suit against Johnson for embezzlement and interfering with the growth of the business. The civil complaints alleges Johnson siphoned more than $450,000 from the store since the late 1990s.

A five-day jury trial in the civil suit is planned for June of next year.