Mark Barrett

mbarrett@citizen-times.com

The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the conviction of an Asheville man in connection with the July 2015 theft of two antique Chinese carvings of penises.

According to an account of the case by prosecutors summarized in the decision, Joseph Wayne Riddle of Parkwood Road took the ivory carvings from a booth at Sweeten Creek Antique Mall. While his wife acted as a lookout, Riddle broke into a display case, stole the carvings, hid them in one of his children's strollers and the family left.

The carvings were valued at $6,090, prosecutors said. Another man took the carvings to an Asheville pawn shop the next day. An employee there recognized them from news accounts and contacted police, leading to Riddle's arrest.

Riddle, who was 31 at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty in October 2015 to charges of aiding and abetting obtaining property by false pretenses and felony larceny, then appealed his conviction nine days later.

His attorney told the court he could find no issue to base an appeal on and asked that the court review the conviction for any error.

Tuesday's opinion says Riddle has filed no arguments on his own behalf, that the court could find no problem with his conviction and that Riddle's appeal "is wholly frivolous."