Subject: 1. Citation 2. Convicted Felon 3. General Damages 4. Case Dismissed
On December 31, 1990, in Pennsylvania, I, Eddie Freeney, explained to the arresting officer that I had received permission from Mr. Sams, the general manager of a Syracuse, New York car dealership—a longtime family friend—to use the vehicle for my graduation and football scholarship celebration. Despite my explanation, I was charged with Receiving Stolen Property and Criminal Conspiracy.
I was taken into custody and sentenced to 33 days in jail, by the Court of Common Pleas completely unaware of my legal options. I had no access to a lawyer, no guidance, and no real understanding of what was happening. The days blurred into frustration and uncertainty as I grappled with the reality that my future—my scholarship, my education, my career—was slipping away. There was no support, only the overwhelming pressure to make a decision that would end the ordeal.
In an effort to secure my release and salvage my plans for college, I felt forced to plead guilty to Receiving Stolen Property. Tragically, that conviction cost me the opportunity to attend the college that had offered me a football scholarship—a dream I had worked tirelessly to achieve.
Later, New York reevaluated the original Grand Larceny charge, reducing it to Petit Larceny and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, effectively negating the Pennsylvania Receiving Stolen Property charge. Yet, the damage had already been done.
On January 31, 1991, I was again forced to plead guilty to a charge for an event that never occurred. Years later, on May 9, 1995, Judge Jeffery B. Snyder granted the District Attorney’s Petition for Nolle Prosequi in the Court of Common Pleas, Susquehanna County, PA, *Dismissing Count B - Receiving Stolen Property and Count C - Criminal Conspiracy, as if it never happened!
