A 34-year-old Harrison Township man has pleaded guilty to attempted grand theft involving a firearm, resolving a case tied to a string of thefts from apartments and vehicles reported earlier this year along Riverside Drive. Danny North entered the plea in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, and he is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
North's plea deal, reported by the Dayton Daily News, led the court to dismiss two counts each of receiving stolen property and misuse of credit cards, along with one count of grand theft involving a firearm. He is set to be sentenced on Dec. 15.
Thefts Reported Along Riverside Drive in June
The underlying thefts were reported between June 4 and June 9, in the 4300 block of Riverside Drive in Harrison Township, according to the same report. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said thieves made off with guns, debit cards, credit cards and other personal items taken from both apartments and vehicles in the area.
Investigators said they identified North as a suspect by piecing together surveillance footage, witness interviews and other investigative tools. Some of the stolen debit and credit cards were reportedly used to make fraudulent purchases afterward.
Earlier Indictment Detailed Broader Charges
North's case had earlier drawn attention when he was indicted, according to WHIO, on two counts each of receiving stolen property and misuse of a credit card, along with one count of grand theft. That outlet reported the stolen debit and credit cards were used to make fraudulent purchases, and that North was arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail on June 23.
Detectives reportedly recovered some of the stolen items from North, per the Dayton Daily News account. With the plea now entered, the case moves toward sentencing, while the broader set of original charges tied to the indictment has been resolved through the dismissal of those counts.
Not Connected to a Similarly Named Michigan Case
The Ohio case is unrelated to a separate, older incident out of a different Harrison Township — this one in Michigan — where three men were arrested in 2017 and charged in connection with a string of car robberies, according to ClickOnDetroit. In that case, deputies recovered 89 items believed to have been stolen from unlocked vehicles, and police identified as many as 20 victims. The three men were each charged with three counts of larceny from a motor vehicle, a five-year felony under Michigan law.
For the Ohio case, the next milestone is North's sentencing hearing next month in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, where the terms of his punishment for the attempted grand theft plea will be determined.
