A father who failed to pay more than $87,000 in child support and restitution was sentenced Friday to 12 months in prison by a federal judge in Gainesville.

Larry W. Anderson of Detroit was charged with failure to pay child support in 2006, but authorities were unable to locate him until earlier this year.

It was determined that Anderson owed $87,325 in unpaid child support and restitution, excluding interest, which Bernita May, the attorney representing the federal government, said would have brought the final figure to nearly $150,000.

In February 1998, Anderson was charged with a misdemeanor escape conviction after he walked away from a work release program where he was confined on similar failure to pay child support charges.

Stephanie Kearns, attorney representing Anderson, argued the two cases were not related and the escape conviction should not be taken into consideration.

But May asked Judge William Story to sentence Anderson to 12 months, alleging that he purposely evaded arrest in order to avoid paying restitution.

"The defendant has no respect for the law," May said to the court.

She also said a lengthy prison sentence would serve as a deterrence to other deadbeat parents.

Anderson has already served almost two months and Kearns asked Story to allow Anderson to serve the balance of the 12 months under home confinement in Detroit.

Story, however, sentenced Anderson to serve the remaining sentence in federal prison with one year of supervised release, which he can serve in Detroit. He did not impose a fine, citing his desire for his earnings to be directed to Delanie Donaldson of Cumming, the mother of Anderson's two children.

Following the sentencing, Kearns said, "I thought the sentencing was fair."

May was not immediately available for comment.