N.C. man pleads guilty to receiving stolen vehicle

A North Carolina man, who was arrested behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle last month, pleaded guilty Monday morning to receiving stolen property while a similar charge was dismissed against his female passenger.

On Oct. 16, Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy James Tabor responded to the northbound I-75 rest area to investigate a complaint that a man was slumped over a vehicle’s steering wheel.

Tabor located the described vehicle and made contact with Josh A. Abee, 36, of North Carolina, and a passenger, Erin Absher, 31, of Indiana.

According to a national database, the vehicle that Abee was behind the wheel of had been reported stolen from Morgantown, North Carolina.

Tabor arrested Abee and charged him with receiving stolen property valued at over $10,000, public intoxication, and possession of a forged prescription for a legend drug, according to a sheriff’s department release.

Tabor arrested Absher and charged her with receiving stolen property valued at over $10,000.

Monday morning, Abee pleaded guilty to possession to a forged prescription for a legend drug and an amended charge of receiving stolen property under $10,000.

Whitley District Judge Fred White sentenced Abee to a 12-month jail sentence that was probated for two years.

The public intoxication charge was dismissed.

The receiving stolen property case against Absher was dismissed without prejudice.

Court documents indicate that Abee swore under oath that Absher had nothing to do with the charges.