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MICHAEL P. EVANS, formerly of Wilkes-B

Jeffrey Benson admitted to stealing money intended for his father.


A Wilkes-Barre man who bilked thousands of dollars from his late brother&rsquo;s Easton estate will serve up to 21/2 years in state prison, a Northampton County judge decided Friday.
 Jeffrey A. Benson, 50, admitted earlier to felony theft for stealing $83,645 intended for his father while administering the estate of George Benson Jr., who died in February 2008 at 45.
 Benson was arrested after an investigation by a Northampton County detective found he took $167,291 that was to be split between his father, George Benson Sr. of Kyle, W. Va., and his mother, Lena H. Benson of Easton, police said.
 But only his father was interested in pressing charges, and he wanted Benson prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, said defense attorney Susan Hutnik, who noted that the dad was "never involved in his life."
 In court, Benson said his brother did not want his father to have a "red dime" of the money. But Benson said he takes responsibility, saying he was overwhelmed by grief and the demands of overseeing an estate.
 "My father, the man whose last name I bear, I wish him no ill will," Benson said.
 Under Judge Leonard Zito&rsquo;s sentence, Benson will be eligible for parole after 15 months and will be on probation for 31/2 years after he completes his prison time. He also is ordered to make restitution.
 In reaching his decision, Zito rejected Hutnik&rsquo;s request for house arrest, saying he couldn&rsquo;t ignore the amount of money Benson stole.
 "His mother is forgiving, however this crime cannot be punished by house arrest," Zito said.
 Benson will report to prison April 8.

W-b Man Gets Jail For Estate Theft