BRENTWOOD – A former Salem gas station worker received a time-served sentence after admitting he stole $20,000 in cash from his employer.

Abul Azad, 60, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor attempted theft by unauthorized taking charge in exchange for a one-year county jail sentence.

Azad has already spent 126 days in county jail. The remainder of his jail term was suspended contingent on his good behavior, according to court records.

Prosecutors reserved the right to impose a felony sentence if Azad runs afoul of the law within the next two years, according to a judge’s order.

No restitution was imposed because Salem police recovered $20,000 from Azad shortly after it was taken from the BP gas station on Lowell Road last Sept. 23, according to court papers.

Police were called to Azad’s apartment at 103 South Policy St., No. 8, that day in response to a report about two men arguing.

The owner of the gas station was confronting Azad about the alleged theft, police said. A text message tipped off the owner that Azad was walking out of the store with a large amount of cash, according to police.

Once police questioned Azad about the missing money, he retrieved $10,000 in cash from the medicine cabinet in his bathroom, police said.

The owner of the business went back to the gas station then reported that he had at least $6,000 to $10,000 more missing from what Azad had already turned over, police said.

Officers questioned Azad about the additional missing money as well. Azad then went to his bathroom and took out another $10,000 hidden in the ceiling, according to prosecutors.

Police said it was unclear what prompted Azad to take the money. Azad appeared to have a suitcase packed when officers arrived at his home, police said.

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