CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A Chillicothe man has been sentenced to six months in prison and an additional judicial sanction after pleading guilty to receiving stolen property in Highland County.
Joseph Bender, 42, was indicted in October on charges of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony, and two fifth-degree felony drug possession counts. Court records show he pleaded guilty to the stolen property charge in January, with the drug charges dismissed. The indictment alleged that on Aug. 1, 2024, Bender knowingly handled a stolen motor vehicle.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss sentenced Bender to six months in prison, with 51 days of jail time credit, and ordered $1,000 in restitution. Coss also ruled that Bender, under post-release control from a 2021 felony conviction, must serve an additional 997 days consecutively.
Bender is incarcerated at the North Central Correctional Institution, per the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.