Stolen motorcycle gets Shelby County man behind bars

SHELBYVILLE — An incident relating to a stolen motorcycle leads to multiple charges filed against a Shelby County man. Elijah Keppler, 29, of Tower Hill, is accused of entering a building and stealing a Yamaha motorcycle. The office of Shelby County State’s Attorney Nichole Kroncke states that Keppler was in the possession of methamphetamine (meth). He was also in possession of .22-caliber ammunition at the time of the crime. Keppler is a convicted felon. Keppler is facing the following charges as of Friday:

• Count One: Unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, a Class 2 felony
• Count Two: Burglary, a Class 2 felony
• Count Three: Unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, a Class 2 felony
• County Four: Unlawful possession of meth with a prior conviction, a Class 3 felony.

The first two charges both have a sentencing range of three to seven years in prison each. For the ammunition possession charge has a sentencing range of three to 14 years in prison. Additionally, the meth possession charge carries a sentencing range of one to six years. If convicted, Keppler could potentially face anywhere from 14 to 34 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. His bond is currently at $50,000. He also has a preliminary hearing in Shelby County court on July 27.

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