Court Opinion

ID: 9584200
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:45:27.490732+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:07:05.613023
License: Public Domain

Eberhardt, Judge,
concurring specially. While I agree that there must be a reversal on the basis of Division 3 of the opinion, since there was a failure to charge on the defendant’s only defense, I do not think the general grounds to be meritorious.
The majority concedes that "the goods were already taken at the time the employer changed drivers,” and I agree. The theft of the goods was complete when they were removed from the warehouse and put on the truck to be delivered to Foskey’s Town & Country Store, and it is immaterial that the truck belonged to Bacon Grocery. Another employee discovered the theft and reported it to his superiors. At that time only those engaged in the theft knew where the goods were to go, and the plan outlined in the stated facts was followed in order to ascertain the full facts, including the identity of the party or parties who were conspiring with the company employees in disposing of the goods.
Because the truck driver who cooperated in uncovering *676the facts was an employee does not, in my judgment, result in an exoneration of Foskey, who was taking the stolen goods at a great discount. He bought them at a flat $2.00 per case, a price which had previously been established between him and the employee who was removing the goods and the truck driver who was delivering them.
"Hence, the statute [denounces] as an offense, not the knowingly receiving of stolen goods from the thief himself, or from any other particular person, but the buying and receiving of such goods knowing them to be stolen from any person whatsoever.” Gaspin v. State, 76 Ga. App. 375, 379 (45 SE2d 785). Accord, Tucker v. State, 94 Ga. App. 468 (6a) (95 SE2d 296). "It is the knowledge by the defendant that the goods were stolen, rather than the intent of the principal in stealing them, which determines the guilt or innocence of the accused.” Johnson v. State, 96 Ga. App. 151, 155 (99 SE2d 484). There is ample evidence from which the jury was authorized to conclude that Foskey knew he was purchasing goods which had been stolen from Bacon Grocery’s warehouse.