In retrospect, going on ‘Dr. Phil’ to talk about their shoplifting exploits may not have been the best move for Matthew and Nora Eaton.

The husband and wife, who went on the popular show and trumpeted their moneymaking scheme of shoplifting toys and reselling them on the Internet, have been sentenced to prison. The couple bragged about making $100,000 on the show.

The Eatons were arrested last September, nearly a year after their appearance. Before that they were under investigation for shoplifting, however, detectives did not suspect them of being large-scale thieves until they appeared on the show.

Their scheme involved the wife using their three children as a distraction, while her husband would steal the items. A search of the couple’s found more than five hundred boxes of toys awaiting shipment.

The two said they contacted Dr. Phil show to gain control of their problem and help with their financial situation but came away with nothing more than a television appearance and three signed books.

“What a charlatan this man is,” the judge said of Dr. Phil. “What a terrible, terrible man.

Matthew Eaton was sentenced to 27 months in prison, while his wife, Laura Eaton was sentenced to a year after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

“I hurt myself. I hurt my family,” Matthew Eaton told the judge. “I was shoplifting. I don’t deny that at all.”

Thanks to TV SHARK for the info!