Local auto dealer pleads guilty

Published 10:37 am Friday, January 8, 2016

The Brookhaven man accused of receiving stolen vehicles to sell at his car lot pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of receiving stolen property.

Donny Wilson, 54, of 410 N. Highway 51, was sentenced on Tuesday by Judge Michael Taylor to six years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He is ordered to serve one year in the intensive supervision program, as specified by Mississippi code, and is considered an inmate of MDOC. The code states a participant enrolled in an ISP is required to remain at his place of residence at all times except to go to work, attend school, perform community service or if the supervising correctional officer allows.

Donny Wilson

Donny Wilson

If Wilson successfully completes the one-year ISP, the remaining five years will be suspended, and he will be placed on post-release supervision for five years. If he were to violate any terms he would be sent to Rankin County to serve the remainder of his sentence.

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Wilson is also ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and court costs.

Wilson was arrested in June 2014 for two counts of receiving or possessing stolen property for allegedly receiving stolen vehicles with intent to sell them at Wilson Auto Sales. He was released on June 26, 2014, on a $30,000 bond after the initial arrest. He was later indicted for the two alleged counts of receiving stolen property.

On Oct. 18, it was alleged that a vehicle in the lot at Wilson Auto Sales had been stolen. Wilson turned himself in on Oct. 21 and was charged with receiving or possessing stolen property.

The bond was still in effect on Nov. 20 when Wilson was indicted for the third charge of possessing stolen property, a felony. His bond was then revoked, and he remained in jail until his court date.

Lincoln County Assistant District Attorney Brendon Adams said the first two charges of receiving stolen property were dropped through the course of normal plea bargaining. Adams said the prosecution had difficulty locating the owner of one of the vehicles associated with the first two charges. In order for him to plead guilty, the prosecution reduced the charge to one count of receiving stolen property.