Sheridan Man Sentenced for Felony Theft Charge

A 27-year-old Sheridan man was sentenced in Fourth Judicial District Court Thursday for the charge of Felony Theft. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

In September of 2019, Michael Dykhorst was arrested and charged with Felony Theft for altering gift card amounts and using the gift cards to purchase over $1,600 in alcohol from Killy’s Liquor in Sheridan. A former employee of the liquor store, Dykhorst, asked a third party to purchase the liquor for him with the altered cards and also attempted to set up a fake wedding catering contract, which he ultimately cancelled.

During sentence arguments and recommendations Thursday, Sheridan County Attorney Dianna Bennett said that the case is more than just a felony theft case, as she said that Dykhorst, after quitting his job at Killy’s Liquor, took to social media with a number of false claims and accusations against his former employer. She said that the business was hurt by the defendant’s actions on social media and that what he displayed was vindictive, inexcusable behavior.

District Court Judge John Fenn sentenced Dykhorst to 2 to 3 years in prison, suspended in lieu of a split-sentence of 20 days in jail and two years of supervised probation. A condition of his probation is that Dykhorst have no access to social media during his probationary term. He must also compose a written apology within the next 30 days, and that if the victim wishes, the apology letter will be published in the local newspaper at the defendant’s expense. Judge Fenn also ordered Dykhorst to pay $310 in various court costs and $1,603 in restitution. The court costs and restitution must be paid in full within the next twelve months.