ALFRED — A judge has approved an agreement in the Nicholas Curro pre-paid oil case that calls for Curro and his three oil companies to pay $394,000 in restitution to customers.

Curro was charged with selling pre-paid heating oil plans in 2007, then failing to deliver all the oil that customers had paid for or refunding their money.

Lawyers for Curro and the state Attorney General’s Office had previously agreed that 313 customers had legitimate claims in the case. The agreement approved by York County Superior Court Justice G. Arthur Brennan this week calls for Curro and his three oil companies – Price-Rite Oil, Veilleux Oil & Service and Perron Oil – to pay restitution.

Curro and the companies were also hit with a civil fine of $250,000, which will be reduced to $25,000 if restitution is made within five years. There are also limits placed on Curro’s business activities, such as a ban on him entering into any pre-paid oil deals for next five years.

Curro was found guilty last year of violating the state’s Unfair Trade Practices law, but the two sides have been negotiating since then over the financial settlement. State law requires that oil dealers who sell pre-paid plans to have supply contracts for some of the oil or post letters of credit or bonds to provide refunds if the oil isn’t delivered.