HARTFORD - Robert Terry Bruce, 35, of Overland Park, Kan., and formerly of Nashville, Tenn., was sentenced on October 14 in US District Court by Judge Alvin W. Thompson to serve three years of probation, the first six months of which will be served as home confinement, for having defrauded contributors to an organization that Bruce created after the December 2012 shooting incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, according to a statement from US Attorney for Connecticut Deirdre M. Daly.

According to court documents and statements that have been made in court, in the aftermath of the December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook School incident, Bruce founded a group known as the "26.4.26 Foundation."

According to court records, in early 2013, Bruce solicited and received contributions to 26.4.26 in connection with a charity athletic event in Gilford, N.H., called the Schools 4 Schools run.

Bruce promoted that event via social media, and solicited contributions to 26.4.26 through an online PayPal account by telling potential donors that the purpose of the event was "to help raise funds for increased school safety, families of victims, memorials to teacher heroes, awareness, and prevention in schools across America," according to court records.

Bruce told potential donors that "all proceeds will go to the 26.4.26 Foundation."

Also in early 2013, Bruce solicited contributions to 26.4.26 in connection with a charity athletic event in Tennessee called CrossFit Cares. As he had in the New Hampshire event, Bruce promoted the event via social media, and solicited contributions to 26.4.26 through PayPal by telling potential donors that "all proceeds will go to the 26.4.26 Foundation" and that the "mission of 26.4.26 is to provide funding for the families of victims, memorials for teacher heroes and to increase safety in schools across the country," according to court records.

Instead of using all of the donated funds to support his purported mission, Bruce used $28,657 of donated funds to enrich himself and to support his personal training business, the court documents state.

Judge Thompson ordered Bruce to pay restitution in that amount to the Sandy Hook Special Revenue Fund, which is administered by the Newtown Board of Selectmen.

Federal officials arrested Bruce in Tennessee on six counts of wire fraud on February 13, 2015. Bruce pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on May 12, 2016.

The court indictment against Bruce lists five Connecticut victims of the wire fraud scheme who made online credit card payments to the 26.4.26 organization through the PayPal payment website. The amounts involved in the frauds ranged from $10 to $70.

After Bruce's arrest, Ms Daly had said, "This arrest serves as a warning to anyone who attempts to profit from the tragedy at Sandy Hook... With the assistance of the FBI, we will continue to prioritize the investigation of fraudulent schemes that exploit the generosity of donors responding to this tragedy."

Also, after the arrest, FBI Special Agent Kevin J. Kline had said, "Creating a fraudulent charity to exploit a tragedy for personal gain is unconscionable... These investigations will continue to be a priority for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Assistant US Attorney Susan Wines prosecuted the case.