Roger Lee Dillon, the man the FBI says was the ringleader of the largest thefts ever in northern Ohio, will spend eight years behind bars.

Dillon was sentenced in Akron Federal Court this morning, moments after the twenty-three year old Youngstown man told Judge John Adams that he stole the money because he was having severe financial problems.

"He was homeless for a period of time, he and his girlfriend lived in a tent and both were doing their best to try and make ends meet and in his own words he made the biggest mistake of his life and now he is going to pay for that for eight years," said Atty. Brian Pierce, Dillon's lawyer.

The former marine also told the judge he deeply regrets getting his mother, Sharon Gregory, and his girlfriend, Nicole Boyd in trouble.

Boyd was sentenced to five years in prison for her role, and Gregory got a three year prison term.

Dillon stole the money on November twenty-sixth and the three were arrested five days later in a trailer in West Virginia.

His attorney believes the three were not typical criminals and did not want to hurt anyone. He stressed they even went out of their way to make sure they paid the rent of their apartments on Lowell Avenue.

A few days after Dillon left town his landlord found an envelope with just the word "sorry" written on it. Inside there was enough cash to pay for Dillon and Gregory's apartments for one month.

"Somebody who is so thoughtful to pay for next month's rent, you just don't expect these people to go out and steal eight million dollars," said Marty Bowman, Dillon's former landlord.

The FBI recovered all but fifteen hundred dollars. As part of their sentences, all three are expected have to pay a portion of the fifteen hundred dollars.