Varner found guilty of receiving stolen property

A nine women, five man jury found Rickey Varner guilty of first-degree receiving stolen property after a one day trial in Enterprise Jan. 15.

Daleville Police had charged Rickey Varner with receiving stolen property in connection with an Oct. 16, 2014 traffic stop during which a 2007 Suzuki motorcycle, reported stolen, was discovered in Varner’s possession.

The owner of the 2007 Suzuki told the court Friday that he had contacted a friend in Daleville who offered to help sell the customized motorcycle. The owner said he was asking $14,000 for the motorcycle.

On Aug. 14, 2014, the owner was told that the motorcycle had been stolen from the Daleville location, he said. He then filed a police report with the Daleville Police Department.

The owner was later asked to come to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office to identify a motorcycle that had been recovered by law officers. The owner said that he identified the motorcycle as his. It was identical to his stolen motorcycle, except for the color. The motorcycle had been painted a greenish-yellow, the owner said. “I built it, I ought to know what it looked like,” the owner said when questioned by Varner’s defense attorney, Bill Morgan.

Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator Mark Ross told the court that he had been on the scene when law officers had recovered the stolen motorcycle.

Ross said that he was one of several law officers present during a traffic stop of Varner’s vehicle on Freedom Drive in Enterprise. Varner had been stopped on an outstanding arrest warrant.

During the stop, Varner volunteered the information to law officers that he had received the motorcycle from the late Greg Driggers. Varner did have a handwritten document, signed by Driggers, giving him a 2000 model Suzuki motorcycle. The motorcycle Varner had in his possession at that time was a 2007 model, Ross said.

Varner waived his right to a pre-sentence investigation and remains free on bond pending sentencing Feb. 23.