State v. Reese, Unpublished Decision (3-1-2002)

OPINION

Defendant-Appellant Jerry Reese appeals from his convictions and sentences for four counts of receiving stolen property and one count of possessing criminal tools.

On December 1, 2000, Reese and his co-defendant, Ahija Johnson, were arrested outside of Upper Valley Mall in Springfield, Ohio in a Chevy Blazer packed with thousands of dollars in new merchandise. When asked where they obtained the vehicle, the defendants responded that they had borrowed it, but they refused to say from whom. Then, when asked about the merchandise, they claimed to have no knowledge of its origins.

The…