State v. Dillon

2020 Ohio 5031
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 23, 2020
Docket2020-CA-4
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 2020 Ohio 5031 (State v. Dillon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Dillon, 2020 Ohio 5031 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Dillon, 2020-Ohio-5031.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT GREENE COUNTY

: STATE OF OHIO : : Appellate Case No. 2020-CA-4 Plaintiff-Appellee : : Trial Court Case No. 2019-CR-357 v. : : (Criminal Appeal from JUSTIN C. DILLON : Common Pleas Court) : Defendant-Appellant :

...........

OPINION

Rendered on the 23rd day of October, 2020.

MARCY A. VONDERWELL, Atty. Reg. No. 0078311, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Appellate Division, 61 Greene Street, Suite 200, Xenia, Ohio 45385 Attorney for Plaintiff-Appellee

MICHELLE M. MACIOROWSKI, Atty. Reg. No. 0067692, 7333 Paragon Road, Suite 170, Dayton, Ohio 45459 Attorney for Defendant-Appellant

.............

FROELICH, J. -2-

{¶ 1} After a jury trial in the Greene County Court of Common Pleas, Justin C.

Dillon was found guilty of theft, receiving stolen property, and forgery, all felonies of the

fifth degree. After merging the theft and receiving stolen property offenses, the trial court

imposed 11 months in prison each for the theft and the forgery, to be served consecutively

for a total of 22 months in prison.

{¶ 2} Dillon appeals from his convictions, claiming that the State failed to prove

venue beyond a reasonable doubt, that the trial court erred in denying his motion to

dismiss on speedy trial grounds, and that the severity of the offenses did not warrant

consecutive prison sentences. For the following reasons, the trial court’s judgment will

be affirmed.

I. Factual and Procedural History

{¶ 3} The State’s evidence at trial established the following facts.

{¶ 4} Dillon is the step-son of Dr. Stephen Wheeler, who resides in Beavercreek,

Greene County, Ohio. Dillon has been in Wheeler’s life for approximately 20 years.

Wheeler testified that Dillon had struggled with addiction for “as long as I’ve known him.”

In February 2019, Dillon had been living with his mother and step-father for four to six

weeks. Wheeler believed that Dillon was “doing well” and had “[b]een relatively clean to

the best of [Wheeler’s] knowledge.”

{¶ 5} At approximately 7:00 p.m. on February 11, 2019, Dillon asked Wheeler if he

(Dillon) could use Wheeler’s car for a few hours to go out with friends. Dillon told

Wheeler that he would be home about 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. Wheeler gave Dillon

permission. Wheeler’s briefcase, which contained primarily personal and corporate -3-

checks and files, was in Wheeler’s car when Dillon borrowed it.

{¶ 6} Around 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. the next morning (February 12), Wheeler opened

his garage door and saw that the car had not been returned. Wheeler contacted the

Beavercreek Police Department and reported the car stolen.

{¶ 7} At approximately 9:20 a.m. the same day, Dillon attempted to cash one of

Wheeler’s personal checks (Check #1491) at the Fifth Third Bank branch on Elliot Drive

in Middletown, Butler County, Ohio. The check, dated February 11, 2019, was made

payable to Dillon in the amount of $230. The teller, Charity Jackson, did not think the

signature on the check matched Wheeler’s signature on file, and she consulted with

Connie Lutes, the head teller. Lutes agreed that the signatures did not match, and she

advised Jackson to call Wheeler, the individual who supposedly wrote the check.

Wheeler told Jackson that he did not write the check and that he wanted the bank to

contact the police. Wheeler reiterated at trial that Dillon did not have permission to have

his checks, to fill out the checks, to sign Wheeler’s name, or to cash the checks. Lutes

told Jackson to go ahead and call the Middletown police.

{¶ 8} Dillon left the branch before the police arrived, leaving behind the check and

his state identification card. Lutes and Jackson both testified that the identification card

matched the person who presented the check. The Middletown police responded to the

call, spoke with Jackson, and took the check and state ID as evidence.

{¶ 9} After speaking with the bank, Wheeler called the Beavercreek Police

Department to report the stolen checkbook. Officer Francesco Trimboli responded to

Wheeler’s home and spoke with Wheeler and his wife. Afterward, the officer attempted

to contact Dillon, but was unsuccessful. -4-

{¶ 10} Trimboli then followed up by telephone with the Middletown Fifth Third Bank

branch and spoke with Lutes and Jackson. Lutes and Jackson relayed what had

occurred, and Officer Trimboli learned that Dillon’s state identification card and the check

had been left at the bank. The officer drove to Middletown and retrieved the items from

the Middletown Police Department. The items later were logged into the Beavercreek

Police Department’s property room.

{¶ 11} Officer Trimboli also spoke with Kyle Forte, senior corporate investigator for

Fifth Third Bank. After speaking with the officer, Forte accessed the digital video footage

for the Elliot Drive branch in Middletown. Forte emailed Trimobli three snapshots taken

from the bank’s surveillance system, which showed Dillon’s attempted transaction at the

bank on February 12.

{¶ 12} Detective John Bondy of the Beavercreek Police Department was assigned

the case for follow-up. Bondy attempted to contact Dillon, but he was unable to reach

him. Bondy presented the matter to the county prosecutor and requested a warrant for

Dillon’s arrest.

{¶ 13} A few days after this incident, Dillon’s mother contacted Dillon and told him

that she and Wheeler needed the car back. Dillon and his mother arranged to meet.

Wheeler drove his wife to a location in Middletown, and his wife got the car from Dillon.

Dillon walked away, and Wheeler and his wife drove home. When Wheeler looked in his

car, the contents of his briefcase had been dumped out in the back of the car.

{¶ 14} Dillon was arrested on May 26, 2019, and held at the Butler County Jail.

He was relocated to the Greene County Jail on June 4, 2019.

{¶ 15} Detective Bondy spoke with Dillon on June 5, 2019. Dillon indicated that -5-

he wanted to cooperate. Bondy testified that he “spelled out the facts, the complaint from

[Dr.] Wheeler, and * * * basically why I was talking to him.” Bondy had the snapshots

from the surveillance video out where Dillon could see them. Dillon did not deny his

involvement. Dillon acknowledged that the state ID was his and that the check was taken

from Wheeler. Dillon told the detective that he had a crack cocaine addiction in February

2019 and that “nothing was safe” when he was using drugs. Dillon further said that he

would argue jurisdiction as far as where the check was stolen from and was attempted to

be cashed. On cross-examination, Detective Bondy stated that, “at the time,” he also

thought venue “might be an issue.”

{¶ 16} On June 14, 2019, Dillon was indicted in Greene County for the theft of

Check #1491 on February 11, for receiving stolen property (Check #1491) on February

12, and forgery (Check #1491) on February 12. Dillon posted bond on July 1 and was

released from jail. However, Dillon failed to appear for his arraignment on July 12; as a

result, the court revoked his bond and issued a capias for his arrest. Dillon remained at

large until September 13, 2019, when he was arrested. Thereafter, Dillon remained

incarcerated during the pendency of his case.

{¶ 17} The trial court set Dillon’s trial date for November 4, 2019. On the

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2020 Ohio 5031, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dillon-ohioctapp-2020.