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John H.C. Black, who spent more than $450,000 of stolen money on dates he met on a "Sugar Daddy" website, was sentenced Friday to 46 months in federal prison.

(seekingarrangement.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The former chief financial officer of a Brooklyn manufacturing company who spent more than $450,000 of stolen money on dates he met on a "Sugar Daddy" website was sentenced Friday afternoon to 46 months in federal prison.

John H.C. Black and his lawyers tried to persuade U.S. District Judge Dan Polster that his actions were caused by medication he was taking to treat his Hepatitis C.

And while Polster said the medication "may have contributed" to Black's actions, the judge said he believed it was not the only reason Black did what he did.

"No sentence can repay the incalculable damage you caused, Mr. Black," Polster said.

Black, 56, of Cleveland Heights, pleaded guilty in December to one count wire fraud. Prosecutors said Black stole more than $1.2 million from Alotech Ltd., where he worked as a CFO from 2009 to 2012. He stole the money from Alotech's business checking account, with corporate credit cards and debit cards, and from ATMs.

Polster ordered Black to pay back all of the stolen money as restitution. Black was ordered to report to prison by mid-May.

Black, a married man, spent more than $450,000 of the stolen money on gifts for women he met on the website seekingarrangement.com. The website, which has more than 3.6 million members, matches rich, older men with women in their 20s with the promise of experiencing "the finer things in life," such as exotic trips and luxurious gifts.

As a "Sugar Daddy," Black gave at least one of the women a credit card and used stolen money to cover her charges. Black and the "sugar babies," as they are called, purchased two cars and spent money on high-end restaurants, designer clothing, jewelry, airline tickets and hotels, among other items.

Black also used $350,000 of the money to make purchases for himself at Nieman Marcus, Trend Boutique and Dick's Sporting Goods, among other stores.

But Black, through his attorneys, attributed that to an Interferon medication he took to treat Hepatitis C, which he found out that he had in the early 2000s.

Glenn Treisman, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, testified Friday that the medicine Black took caused a mania that led Black to "do things that are very uncharacteristic."

He said Black's mania, which started in about October 2011, is rare, but it could explain his criminal actions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Kleinmann, however, said the thefts started as early as December 2010, albeit the money taken early on was significantly less than what Black would take in 2011 and 2012.

Black, whose wife and family were in attendance, said that he takes full responsibility for his actions.

"I cannot undo what has been done, but I can atone and try to make amends to the best of my ability," Black said.

Alotech manufactures, researches and develops cast parts used by the military, auto industry and aerospace industry,

John Grassi, the company's chief executive officer, told Polster at the hearing that Black was "the most cunning and deceptive person I have ever met." He even said Black, before he was hired, lied to him and said he was a certified public accountant.

"I can't believe he would steal so much, including from my own family's savings," Grassi said.

Grassi, who lives in Atlanta, filed a federal lawsuit against Black and the Huntington Bank in 2013. That case was settled in February.

He also sued Black in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. That case is still open.