A former armored car driver has been sentenced to serve eight years in federal prison for stealing nearly $8 million from his former employer's branch office near Youngstown, Ohio.

In a hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge John R. Adams in Akron ordered Roger Lee Dillon, 23, of Youngstown, to spend three years on supervised release after leaving prison and to pay $51,435 in restitution. Mr. Dillon could have been jailed for up to 25 years for his role in the scheme to steal cash and checks from AT Systems Inc. Nov. 26.

Also yesterday, Judge Adams sentenced Mr. Dillon's mother, Sharon Lee Gregory, 49, of Youngstown, to a three-year prison term, to be followed by three years on supervised release and payment of $1,435 in restitution. Mr. Dillon's girlfriend, Nicole Boyd, 25, of Youngstown, on Wednesday was sentenced to a five-year term for her role in pulling off one of the largest-ever thefts in Ohio.

The three pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges stemming from the theft of more than $7.9 million from AT Systems after the busy post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend. Mr. Dillon worked for about nine months as a driver and messenger for AT Systems, which provides cash handling and delivery services to banks and other businesses.

Investigators said Mr. Dillon used his access and knowledge to enter the company's branch office in Liberty, Ohio. With Ms. Boyd's help, he loaded and drove away with 2,000 pounds of money and checks, much of it cash, authorities said.

But the three made a series of gaffes that enabled investigators to track them days later to a rented mobile home outside Pipestem, W.Va., where FBI agents said they'd holed up to count the money. Most of the money was recovered.

Mr. Dillon's restitution includes $50,000 that authorities said he stole in August while working for AT Systems to pay for items needed to pull off the larger heist. In court papers, Mr. Dillon's attorney said Mr. Dillon and Ms. Boyd had been homeless and had suffered other financial problems, including losing a home to foreclosure, prior to the thefts.