AUBURN - The former co-president of the Educational Support Professionals Union at Cayuga Community College pleaded guilty in Cayuga County court Tuesday to stealing $16,984 from the organization over the course of a year.

Deborah Hohman, 49, of 2 Schwartz Drive, Auburn, admitted that she acquired a debit card for the union's bank account in November 2007 without the knowledge of anyone else and used it to make personal purchases.

Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said Hohman was not caught until a union check bounced in November 2008, causing the union's board to review its bank records.

Hohman had originally told the board that she accidentally mixed up her own personal debit card with the union's card, Budelmann said.

In exchange for pleading guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny, Hohman was told her punishment will not exceed probation with community service if she makes full restitution before she is sentenced on April 14.

Also in court:

#&149; A Liverpool man pleaded guilty to his role in a criminal ring that defrauded Auburn's Wal-Mart by changing the price of expensive electronic equipment.

Anthony Saya, 30, of 1136 Vine St., apartment E9, admitted that he took a UPC code from a cheaper TV and placed it over the UPC code of a $1,500 Sony plasma TV in order to purchase it for nearly $500.

Budelmann said the ring has used the tactic at several stores throughout central New York and in northern Pennsylvania to steal Blu-ray DVD players and other electronic equipment.

In some cases, the individuals would return the stolen merchandise to the store without a receipt and receive a gift card for the actual value of the item or sell it online on eBay, Budelmann said.

A second man, Stephen Neide, has also been arrested in connection to the ring, but Budelmann said he was uncertain about the status of that case.

Saya, who was previously convicted of fourth-degree forgery in 2003 could face 1.5 to three years in prison when he is sentenced April 14.

#&149; An Auburn man was sentenced to five years of probation with credit for time already served in the Cayuga County Jail for third-degree burglary.

John Smith III, 24, of 12 Fort St. 3 side, will also pay $275 in restitution to repair a door and window on the victim's home.

Budelmann said he believed Smith was high when he walked into the victim's Osborne Street home and sat down at their table. Smith then broke the window and the door after he was escorted out of the house.

#&149; A Rochester man was sentenced to one to three years in prison after he was convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving without a license.

Brehannie Gomez, 27, of 3 Dudley St., Rochester, will also have to pay $2,500 in fines.

Gomez was previously convicted of drunk driving charges in 2006 and 2007.

#&149; A former Auburn man will serve an extra two to four years in prison after he refused to testify against a local drug dealer at a grand jury hearing.

Martin Nagel, 53, is already serving a two-year prison sentence at Groveland Correctional Facility for a 2008 attempted sale of cocaine conviction.

#&149; Jason Horton, 25, of 7 Church St., was sentenced to six months in jail with five years of probation for threatening to harm a witness if the person testified at a trial.

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net