Peter Schroeder was ordered Feb. 9 to pay $117,900 to victims of his former Bird Rock consignment piano business plus serve 90 days in jail for his guilty pleas to four counts of elder theft. However, the judge ruled that Schroeder, 76, need not immediately serve any time because his wife is very ill. His attorney said Schroeder wanted to be with his wife at this time, as he is her caretaker. San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh said he heard that hospice care was being arranged now for Schroeder’s wife. Walsh said he agreed that Schroeder should be with his wife and not in jail at this time. However, he ordered Schroeder to return to court March 22 for a sentence review and that he may lift the stay and order Schroeder to jail if his wife’s health has improved or if she has passed away. Delores Schroeder suffers from an advanced pulmonary disorder and her health was described as fragile, according to court records. Walsh also sentenced Schroeder to 275 days of house arrest under terms of five years’ probation. The house arrest portion is stayed pending the March 22 hearing. Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood urged a 1-year jail term, while the probation department recommended 180 days. Schroeder’s attorney asked for probation. Schroeder was the owner of the former Schroeder Piano Company when it was located at 5680 La Jolla Blvd. in Bird Rock. It closed its doors in Feb., 2015 after people claimed their pianos either disappeared or were sold for a much lesser amount than they wanted. He pleaded guilty Oct. 26, 2015 to four counts of theft from an elder in which the piano’s owner was older than 70 years. The maximum sentence was seven years in prison. He remains free on his own recognizance. He and his wife moved from Pacific Beach to Santee in 2015. They have no savings, said Schroeder. Schroeder has paid $33,100 in restitution so far, and those funds have been deposited in a trust account. More money may be coming, according to his probation report. Although Walsh barred Schroeder from participating in any type of consignment business, Schroeder intends to open “a conservative and proper piano business” out of his townhome in Santee, according to what he told a probation officer. He intends to buy used pianos, restore them and sell them at a profit. These funds will go to restitution. Schroeder said he would have no overhead costs since his home will be his office. “The mountain I have to climb is my reputation, and that’s my problem, but I think I can do that,” Schroeder was quoted as saying in the report. Schroeder said he sold his piano business to someone for $50,000, but they have only paid him $12,500. He said he is expecting more money from the buyer and will pay that towards restitution. Schroeder told a probation officer his economic troubles started with the stock market and then the demand for pianos dropped. “I didn’t have the cash flow to support the business,” he said. – Neal Putnam