California man sentenced to 18 months for hacking into cash registers at Subway sandwich shops

A man who hacked into computerized cash registers at Subway sandwich shops and stole more than $40,000 in gift cards has been sentenced in Boston to 18 months in prison.

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns also sentenced 46-year-old Lake Elsinore, California, resident Shahin Abdollahi to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay nearly $44,000 in restitution to Subway.

Abdollahi pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud. Authorities say a co-conspirator was sentenced in May to six months in prison.

The government says Abdollahi owned Subway franchises in southern California and later operated a company that sold computer systems to the sandwich chain. It says he hacked into at least 13 Subway shops around the country.