A man was given a probationary sentence and ordered to pay restitution on Thursday for burglarizing a Kalispell automotive shop in December 2015.

Richard Eugene Prangley, 32, was given a five-year sentence with the Montana Department of Corrections. Flathead District Judge Amy Eddy ordered him to pay more than $7,000 in restitution.

Prangley was taken into custody on Jan. 5 for breaking into a storage shed and stealing a snowblower worth $800 from Lakeside Elementary School. During the course of that investigation, Prangley was questioned about his involvement in burglarizing an automotive business.

Prangley took tools and broke into customer’s cars that were awaiting service. Prangley eventually admitted to the crime and pleaded guilty to felony theft.

Business owner Rocky Gugler testified that the theft had been devastating for his business.

“This has affected our family extremely,” Gugler said. “It has just been a nightmare.”

The theft caused Gugler to lose his best customer. He could not perform work without the tools that were stolen. He tracked some of them to local pawn shops. It was mid-January by the time he got back to full operation, long after he had to buy his children’s Christmas presents.

Eddy declined to impose fines or fees and emphasized that Prangley’s first obligation is to take care of paying restitution to Gugler.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].