By Billy Davis

A pair of criminal court cases, in which authorities allege the defendants purchased stolen goods, are winding their way through Panola County Circuit Court.

Panola sheriff’s investigators, while looking into a string of burglaries, allege they tracked stolen goods to Macel Appleton Sr., 77, of 503 East Carlee Street, Sardis.

Several burglary suspects, in interviews with Panola sheriff’s investigators, fingered Appleton as a main buyer of the stolen goods, mostly firearms and four-wheelers, the indictments allege.

He now faces a 12-count indictment.

Appleton’s case, scheduled for a March 1 trial date, will be held in Sardis in front of Circuit Judge Andrew C. Baker.

Assistant District Attorney Jay Hale is presenting the state’s case.

Appleton is represented by attorney Josh Turner of Oxford.

In a separate but similar case, a March 1 court date has been set for Tim Holliday, 46, also of Sardis. He is accused of purchasing a stolen John Deere riding mower for $100 from the thief who stole it.

Holliday told authorities he took the lawn mower as collateral when he loaned Larecios Johnson $80. He is being represented by public defender Clay Vanderburg

In Mississippi, a conviction for receiving stolen property valued at more than $500 carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine. The state statute does not include a minimum sentence or fine.

Appleton was indicted last May for buying three four-wheelers, two shotguns, two .22 caliber rifles, a 30-30 lever-action rifle, and a Samsung flat-screen TV.

The items were stolen from a home in Sardis, and at rural homes in Panola and Tate counties.

Court documents show Panola investigators also charged Appleton with grand larceny after the burglary suspects alleged he helped them load a stolen Honda four-wheeler on a trailer he provided.  

Appleton is also a charged with felony possession of a firearm, since he was convicted in 2001 of horse theft by fraud. He received a one-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty.

A trial was set for September but was pushed back to March 1 when Turner gave notice of conflicting court appearances.

In the Holliday case, Panola sheriff’s deputy Earl Burdette, following up on a tip, recovered the lawn mower and a trailer at Holliday’s home on July 4 last year. The mower had been reported stolen on June 28 from a home in Como.

Court documents show Johnson sold the mower and trailer to Holliday, telling authorities after his arrest that he told Holliday the items were stolen property.

Johnson has since pleaded guilty to the grand larceny charge and has been sentenced, said Hale.

Holliday has served as a North Panola School Board trustee, beginning in 2008, before he chose not to seek re-election last year. He also sits on the county land development commission.

Holliday also ran for District 2 supervisor in the recent special election for that seat.

Holliday’s court case was assigned to Judge Baker after Judge Jimmy McClure recused himself on the grounds that he knows Holliday. McClure is also from Sardis.