A rural Clark County man was sentenced in Scott Circuit Court this past Friday to 10 years as a result of a July 2019 theft of a mini-bike that resulted in bodily injury to the mini-bike’s owner.
In July 2019, as Justin Keith Simpson, 33, of Nabb drove through Lexington, he noticed a 50cc mini bike inside of an open garage. Simpson pulled into the driveway of the home, went inside the garage, took the dirt bike, and loaded it into the back of his truck, according to Scott County Prosecutor Chris Owens.
“To the surprise of Mr. Simpson, the homeowner saw him through a window, came out of the home and approached Simpson’s truck, trying to stop him from stealing the mini bike,” said Owens. “As the homeowner reached into the truck to try to stop the theft, Simpson accelerated, dragging the homeowner approximately 20 to 30 yards before getting away.”
Several days later, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department recovered the stolen mini bike after a motor vehicle wreck in which Simpson was involved. In early August, Scott County Sheriff’s Deputies were able to locate Simpson and took him into custody.
He bonded out of jail and was free on bond until a plea agreement was signed. Simpson agreed to plead guilt to robbery resulting in bodily injury, a Level 3 felony leaving the sentence to be determined by the Judge, Owens reported.
After hearing the testimony and seeing the evidence, Scott Circuit Court Judge Jason Mount sentenced Simpson to 10 years: serving six years in the Indiana Department of Correction followed by two years on GPS monitored home detention and then two years to be supervised by the Scott County Probation Department.
“After posting bond, (in 2019) it appeared that Mr. Simpson made some adjustments and was living a much better life. However we cannot ignore what he did and we cannot ignore his significant criminal past. A prison sentence was appropriate for Simpson in this matter,” said Owens. “The citizens of Scott County need to feel safe, both for themselves and for their property. Our office is committed to seeing that people are held accountable when they victimize others.”