Owner turns self in after stolen property found on lot
Published 2:46 pm Thursday, October 29, 2015
The used car lot owner who was previously indicted for two counts of allegedly receiving stolen property was arrested Tuesday after turning himself in for possession of or receiving stolen property.
Donny Wilson, 54, of 1150 Highway 472 in Hazlehurst, turned himself in to the Brookhaven Police Department, Police Chief Bobby Bell said. He was then booked at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday and released a little over an hour later on a $50,000 bond.
Bell said Wilson turned himself in in connection with the stolen vehicle that was recovered from Wilson Auto Sales last week. Bell confirmed that on Oct. 18 a 2011 white Ford truck belonging to Joshua Powell was found on the lot, which prompted police to search the remaining inventory. Powell’s truck had been stolen on Oct. 2 in Jackson while he was at a school function. Bell said last week no additional stolen property had been identified.
Wilson was indicted March 24 for two counts of receiving stolen property. The indictment states on or before June 25, 2014, Wilson did “willfully, unlawfully, intentionally and feloniously have in his possession a black, two-door 2013 Dodge Challenger belonging to a Jeremy Miller of Jackson, having a value of at least $5,000 but less than $25,000 … at a time when Donny Wilson knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that said property had been stolen.”
The indictment states further that Wilson did “willfully, unlawfully, intentionally and feloniously have in his possession a black 2013 Nissan Maxima belonging to Sparks Nissan in Monroe, Louisiana, having a value of at least $5,000 but less than $25,000, and which had been stolen at a time when Wilson knew or had reasonable grounds to believe said property had been stolen.”
Wilson was to appear in court on Oct. 20, but the case was continued Monday until Nov. 2. The previous motion filed by the defense was for a mental evaluation on Oct. 19.
Bell said BPD is not the only agency looking at activity associated with the alleged charges and the investigation is ongoing.