PARIS — A Norway man has been ordered to repay the town $2,281 after defrauding it of General Assistance benefits.  

Blaine T. Whitney, 44, of Main Street pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of theft by deception in Oxford County Superior Court on Tuesday morning. 

In addition to the restitution, a judge sentenced him to six months in jail, all suspended, and placed him on probation for a year. 

In exchange for the plea deal, prosecutors amended his indictment from a felony, which carried a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The amended indictment reduced the sum he was charged with stealing from $1,000 to $500. 

Whitney was indicted on a felony theft charge by an Oxford County grand jury in April, after police accused him of fraudulently collecting nearly $4,000 in General Assistance payments from the town from June 2012 until the middle of April 2014. 

According to Sun Journal records, investigators claimed Whitney intentionally failed to report that he shared an apartment with another person and their income on General Assistance applications. Through the omission, Whitney was able to claim the maximum $490 monthly housing allowance. 

In January, Whitney pleaded guilty to stealing and using another man’s state Electronic Benefit Transfer card. He was sentenced to 72 hours in jail and ordered to pay $130 in fines.