Louisville Man to Serve 6 Years

Matthew D. Bickley, 54, of Louisville, Illinois, was sentenced to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on Wednesday in Clay County Circuit Court for the offense of Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, a Class 1 Felony.

The charge alleged that on May 14, 2022, Bickley possessed a 2015 Explorer belonging to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, knowing it to have been stolen while driving said vehicle. Bickley willfully failed or refused to obey signals from police directing him to bring the vehicle to a stop. Bickley pled guilty in Court on September 21, 2022 and was sentenced yesterday to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with a Mandatory Supervised Release period of up to 1 year.

The investigation was conducted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. State’s Attorney Phillip Givens said: “I want to thank the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work in capturing this defendant while keeping the community safe at the same time.”