A Midway man appeared during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday and pled guilty to leasing two large-screen television sets and not making any payments on the lease.
A theft report was filed with the Mountain Home Police Department early last month by a local business. The report said 48-year-old Eddie Wayne Patteson entered into an agreement with the business to lease two 65-inch television sets in early May. The business told investigators Patteson had never made a payment. Police were told store staff had seen the sets being offered for sale on a social media site.
It is alleged Patteson was the one trying to sell the sets. In the probable cause affidavit, it points out the televisions on the social media site were still wrapped in the type plastic sheeting in which they are shipped to customers by the store.
As Patteson was being sentenced, he claimed the televisions were stolen from his house. Circuit Judge Gordon Webb asked Patteson if he was saying he was not guilty of the charge and Patteson — without answering one way or another — said he wanted to proceed with the plea.
He was put on probation for six years and ordered to pay almost $1,400 in victim restitution.
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