LISBON — A Rogers man who stole money from his own father over a six-year period was sentenced to community control for five years, but left the courthouse in handcuffs after the judge ordered him to jail for 14 days.

“You broke this family — for greed,” Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton told Bryce Bezdek as family members watched and listened.

Bezdek, 47, Sprucevale Road, appeared for sentencing Friday afternoon for one count of theft from a person in a protected class, a third-degree felony. He entered a guilty plea to the lesser offense in April as part of a plea deal which included dismissal of another count of theft from a person in a protected class. He had originally been indicted for two second-degree felony counts of the charge. The secret indictment alleged that the thefts took place from April 14, 2014 to Oct. 17, 2020, with the value of the property or services stolen at least $37,500 or more, but less than $150,000.

The third-degree felony charge alleged the value of the property or services stolen was at least $7,500 or more, but less than $37,500. The charge carried a possible penalty of nine months to 36 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

County Assistant Prosecutor Tammie Riley Jones advised that under the terms of an agreement reached by both sides, which included input from the elderly victim, she was recommending community control or probation for five years and an order for restitution, noting the two sides had already reached an agreement on an amount of $25,000. After the plea, she explained that Bezdek had the power of attorney for an elderly family member and misused the person’s funds.

Jolene Goff, Bezdek’s sister, spoke on behalf of her father, Byron, reading from a statement he wrote, detailing how his son stole more than $55,000 from him and even went so far as to change the beneficiaries on his father’s investments and insurance so that he would be the lone beneficiary, cutting out his sisters to keep it all for himself.

“Bryce was raised to know right from wrong,” she read from her father’s statement.

Bryce served in the U.S. Marine Corps, had served as a sergeant with the Cincinnati Police Department and had been working locally as a driver’s license examiner. In 2014, his father had a stroke and his mother died of cancer. As Byron was trying to recover, he was staying with Jolene in Illinois and learned about a letter from a bank regarding a credit card bill not being paid. As they learned more and more, he said what his daughter found “made me sick.”

Adult Protective Services became involved and then the county Sheriff’s Office and then the indictment came. He said that Bryce never apologized and he broke his trust and devastated his sisters.

“He has not demonstrated to me that he’s remorseful,” the father said.

Maruca advised the court that Bezdek brought an $8,000 check with him towards the restitution, but he was told to bring it back Monday because the clerk’s office closed at 4 p.m. while the hearing was still going on.

“I believe that my client has taken responsibility for his actions,” Maruca said.

Bryce Bezdek spoke on his own behalf, saying he was offering his sincere apologies and his intent had been to serve as an advocate. Instead, he said he let his father down.

“I’m sorry my actions caused so much distress and distrust in the family,” he said, asking the judge for mercy. “I am truly, deeply sorry.”

Bickerton chastised Bezdek for what he did, saying he only stopped because he got caught. She said she couldn’t imagine being a father and having her son steal from her. His father suffered from a stroke and needed every penny he had. She said she couldn’t do what his father wanted regarding taking away his position at church, that’s up to the church to decide.

She agreed to follow the sentence recommendation for five years of community control but then said, “however, you are going to serve jail time,” giving him 14 days starting immediately. His attorney’s request for him to self-report on Monday was denied.

The courtroom was full, with multiple family members there for the father, including Goff, and Bezdek’s immediate family also in attendance.