MOHAVE VALLEY — Attorneys had little to say during the April 7 sentencing hearing for a Mohave Valley man convicted of running a chop shop operation. The plea agreement convicting Lee Kennedy, 53, of involvement in the stolen parts enterprise required the Court to impose a five year prison sentence.
Deputy Mohave County attorney Jennifer Brodie said an array of stolen parts and motorized two- and four-wheel (vehicles, quads, motorcycles) transportation units in various stages of disassembly were located during an August, 2024 visit by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) on a Mohave Valley property in the 3100 block of Sagebrush Drive. MCSO spokeswoman Anita Mortensen said some parts from a Polaris Predator 500 were traced to a previous theft in Havasu Heights.
Drug, theft, stolen property possession and other charges were dismissed in the plea deal for Kennedy.
Judge Billy Sipe noted that a Probation Department pre-sentence report indicated that Kennedy had claimed his innocence and alleged an illegal search of the Mohave Valley property.
Kennedy declined, however, when asked if he wished to back out of the plea deal. Sipe subsequently imposed the five-year prison term.
