Cases | 2004-Ohio-6648(Ohio Ct. App. 2004) | 2018
The defendant pled guilty to receiving stolen property after he installed a motor from a stolen car in the car of an associate who had stolen the car. The defendant was ordered to pay restitution of $12,675, the total value of the stolen car. The defendant appealed, arguing the order of restitution was improper because it was based on the value of the stolen car even though he was only charged with handling the car’s motor. The appellate court found the defendant had pled guilty to a fifth degree felony, which encompasses offenses of stolen property valued between $500 and $5,000, and that any order of restitution beyond $5,000 was excessive for the defendant’s offense. Additionally, the trial court failed to specify whether the amount ordered was for the total value of the stolen car or just the motor. The order of restitution was remanded for redetermination of the value of the motor, not to exceed $5,000.