Grain Thief Sentenced
WARSAW — Michael B. Shelpman, 3875 W. CR 1300S, Silver Lake, has been sentenced on two counts of theft, class D felonies.
Shelpman pleaded guilty to theft on two separate occasions in 2013, the first occasion being April 30, 2013, and the second being in September 17, 2013. On these dates Shelpman delivered his employer’s harvested corn, with use of his employer’s truck, and received payment for said corn.
In court, Shelpman’s former employer, David Munson, took the witness stand to advise the court that Shelpman’s wrongdoing had caused him financial and emotional hardship. Munson requested, under advisement from an attorney, that Shelpman repay him $38,381.80 plus interest.
Attorney Matthew Buehler insisted to the court that this restitution was too high, as Shelpman only pleaded guilty to two separate events that equated to a stolen amount of less than half the amount stated. He added that Shelpman had been paying restitution to a trust account in his firm, totaling $1,500 to date.
Judge Cates accepted the plea agreement on two counts of theft, sentencing Shelpman to one and one-half years at the Kosciusko County Jail for each count, to be served consecutively, with two days jail time credit. He suspended this sentencing, ordering Shelpman to serve the three years on probation. Judge Cates ordered Shelpman to pay the full $38,381.80 plus 5.5 percent interest in restitution to Mr. Munson.