Michigan Man Enters Plea in Buried Motorcycle Case

A Michigan man who authorities say buried a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in 2009 and claimed it was stolen to collect insurance money faces sentencing next year in the case.

MLive.com repots Chad E. Dejongh of Bay County’s Beaver Township is to be sentenced Jan. 7 after pleading no contest earlier this month to two counts of false report of a felony. A no contest plea isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing.

The felony charge is punishable by up to four years in prison. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a 15-year felony.

Authorities say Dejongh in October 2009 reported his Rocker C motorcycle stolen, but police were tipped in September 2011 that it had been buried.

Police didn’t find the motorcycle.