Guam media executive Evan Montvel-Cohen yesterday was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading no contest to a charge of first-degree theft.

Montvel-Cohen, 43, was charged with stealing some $30,000 from a Waimanalo landscaping company he worked for in 2005.

He repaid the money to the firm, Ultimate Innovations Inc., before he was sentenced yesterday by Circuit Judge Randal Lee.

Montvel-Cohen asked Lee to defer acceptance of his plea, a legal mechanism that would result in no criminal record if the defendant complies with all terms of his probation.

But Lee denied that request, finding that Montvel-Cohen used "deceptive conduct" to take advantage of his employer.

Montvel-Cohen is managing director of a company that owns television stations on Guam. He also co-founded the liberal national radio network Air America.

Additional charges of credit card fraud, forgery and money laundering against Montvel-Cohen were dismissed as part of the plea agreement he reached with prosecutors here.