Opinion ID: 2218193
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: basis for messersmith's convictions

Text: On January 18, 1989, Harold Strayer and Toby Stroh burglarized John Ballou's shed and stole numerous automobile parts from Ballou. Strayer and Stroh delivered most of the stolen auto parts to Messersmith in exchange for money and drugs packaged in small plastic baggies. Before Strayer and Stroh handed over the auto parts to Messersmith, they informed him that the parts were stolen from Ballou. The next day, January 19, Strayer and Stroh returned to Messersmith's residence to install the stolen auto parts in Messersmith's car. On January 20, Stroh again returned to Messersmith's, where Stroh purchased amphetamine from him. On January 22, police executed a search warrant at Messersmith's residence and found in Messersmith's bedroom closet a toolbox that contained a vial and five small plastic bags of a substance which, by later chemical analysis, was identified as amphetamine. Contents of another bag tested positive for methamphetamine. The officers also discovered a large plastic bag filled with many small self-sealing plastic bags, another plastic bag containing syringes, a sifter, and a metal funnel and scoop. A triple-beam balance scale and a box of powdered sugar were also found in Messersmith's closet, with a shotgun and a box of shotgun shells. Police found other items in Messersmith's home, including a candy box containing two bags which had a later-identified amphetamine residue, $1,255 in cash located in Messersmith's wallet, lists of several individuals' names with dollar amounts written after the names, and a table of metric measurements for converting gram weight into ounces and pounds. From the home of Stroh's girl friend, police also retrieved the amphetamine that Stroh had purchased from Messersmith on January 20. Police arrested Messersmith on January 22, 1989. Among the charges filed against Messersmith were counts for the previously mentioned drug and theft offenses.