On Thursday, December 1, 2011, Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr sentenced Raymond Arledge (d.o.b. 9/24/1981), of Branson, to eight (8) years in prison for the class C felony of Receiving Stolen Property. Arledge was charged by the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office as a prior and persistent felony offender, and the eight (8) year sentence was by plea agreement.

Arledge was developed as a suspect in an August 10, 2011, burglary committed at the Blue Bayou Motel, in Branson, based upon some statements from eyewitnesses. Branson Police officers investigated and eventually discovered Arledge in a trailer with several stolen items. The items – including power tools, video games, and Guitar Hero guitars – had a total value of over $1,000.00.

The maximum punishment for a class C felony of Receiving Stolen Property is up to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000.00. However, as a persistent felony offender, the maximum is a term of imprisonment not to exceed fifteen (15) years in prison. A persistent felony offender is someone with at least two (2) prior felony convictions.