The former director of the Century II convention center was placed on probation for one year Monday on federal charges accusing him of mail fraud and lying to law enforcement about a scandal surrounding last year's collapse of the Central Ticket Agency.

Larry Lahaie, 49, was ordered at the hearing not to work in a position where he had control over money without first obtaining permission from the probation office. District Judge Monti Belot imposed the sentence after federal prosecutor Deb Barnett said she would not oppose placing Lahaie on probation.

Defense lawyer Richard Ney noted that his client had no prior record, and he said Lahaie got into financial trouble while trying to maintain homes in Wichita and Omaha, where he had previously worked as that city's public events manager. Ney said Lahaie, who lost his $84,000-a-year job after the charges were filed, is still seeking employment.

Under a plea agreement reached in August, Lahaie admitted that he solicited illegal loans from Century II vendors for personal use and told federal investigators he had no knowledge of the loans.

Central Ticket Agency, which had operated the box office at Century II since the building opened in 1969, closed in May 2003, owing thousands of dollars in ticket revenues to promoters. Lahaie was charged with borrowing $9,280 from the ticket agency while allowing the company to skip payments on rents and ticket revenues owed to the city of Wichita, the plea agreement said.

Prosecutors said Lahaie repaid that loan by borrowing the same amount from the Wichita Canteen Company a day after authorizing the company to use the Century II kitchen for outside business. Lahaie ultimately paid back the loan with money he said he borrowed from his family.