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Mass. Magic Store Owner Makes Customer's Cash Disappear

Money

The owner of a Massachusetts magic store has been sentenced to two years in prison for making more than $560,000 disappear from a longtime customer's credit card account. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

Harry Levy of Lexington was also sentenced in federal court in Boston on Thursday to two years of probation and was ordered to pay full restitution.

Prosecutors say the 61-year-old Levy tried to cover up the fraud by lying to federal investigators and submitting false records to the grand jury.

Levy, who owns Hank Lee's Magic Factory, pleaded guilty in April to charges of credit card fraud and making false statements.

Authorities say Levy made 134 unauthorized charges on the wealthy customer's card, forcing the victim to put his house on the market and complicating his efforts to finance a new business.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Lucas Willard is a news reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011. He produces and hosts The Best of Our Knowledge and WAMC Listening Party.