Defendant appeals his sentence, assigning as error the imposition of restitution of $275 for a stolen stereo. Defendant was convicted of theft for stealing cash and tires from the service station where he worked. A car stereo also disappeared that evening from a car parked at the station. Defendant was not charged with its theft, and he did not admit to stealing it.
Restitution may be imposed when a defendant’s criminal activities cause a pecuniary loss. ORS 137.106(1); State v. Dillon,
“any offense with respect to which the defendant is convicted or any other criminal conduct admitted by the defendant.”
Under that definition, the theft of the car stereo is not a criminal activity attributable to defendant.
The state contends that circumstantial evidence that defendant stole the stereo justifies the restitution award, relying on State v. Doty,
In this case, no evidence was presented that defendant’s criminal activities of stealing cash and tires made possible the theft of the stereo. Because there was not, restitution for the stereo could not be imposed.
Conviction affirmed; remanded with instructions to delete order of restitution for stereo.
Notes
The state contends that any error was harmless, because the trial court stated that, if the restitution was not proper, it would impose a fine for the same amount. What the trial court might have done is not before us.
