A 33-year-old Marengo man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to stealing a $1,400 stimulus check, prosecutors said.

In exchange for Phillip M. Puccio’s guilty plea to felony theft, prosecutors recommended the 2 1/2-year sentence and dismissed a forgery charge. McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt accepted the plea deal in court Thursday morning.

He will receive credit for the 298 days he has spent in custody. Upon his release, Puccio is required to serve a year of mandatory supervised release, or parole, and will need to pay $1,352 in court fees and fines.

Both charges are class 3 felonies, which carry sentences of two to five years, according to the indictment. Puccio was eligible for extended sentencing due to past convictions.

Puccio also faced a felony charge of violating the terms of his electronic monitoring while on conditional release. That charge was also dismissed Thursday.

Puccio was accused of taking a $1,400 economic impact check in March 2021 that was issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to another person, according to a court record the prosecutor filed Thursday and the indictment. The McHenry Police Department case initially investigated the case, court records show.

Wilbrandt confirmed Thursday that restitution was paid and the victim received his stimulus money.