New London — State prosecutors have recommended a two-year prison sentence for a North Stonington man charged with embezzling more than $229,000 from Fiddleheads, a food cooperative on Broad Street.

Robert Tompkins Jr., 23, a former Fiddleheads employee, pleaded guilty on Monday to first-degree larceny in the case. Police said Tompkins, between 2017 and 2020, conducted fraudulent credit card transactions and refunded his personal credit card.

The recommended sentence is 12 years in prison, suspended after two years in prison, and five years of probation. He is slated to be sentenced on June 14 in New London Superior Court.

Tompkins pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine, which means he indicating he disputes the state's allegations but doesn't want to risk a harsher sentence if convicted at trial. In a separate civil case, Tompkins acknowledged his actions and agreed to pay back Fiddleheads all of the money he stole, starting with payments of $250 per month.