WAPELLO COUNTY, Iowa — The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office says a multi-state theft investigation has resulted in the identification of a suspect and the recovery of all of the reported stolen property, including UTVs, dirt bikes, and trailers.

The investigation that began back in March led to search warrants, interviews, and coordinated law enforcement efforts across Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado.

The WCSO said its investigation identified Aaron Shane Keegel, 29, and another individual, whom they did not name because he has since died, as those responsible for the crimes. Keegal has been in the Mahaska County Jail on unrelated charges since July 9th.

A timeline of the investigation was provided by the WCSO:

• March 13, 2025: Greiner’s Implement in Ottumwa, Iowa, reported a 2023 Yanmar UTV stolen from the business.
• March 25, 2025: A Wapello County resident on Rock Bluff Road in Ottumwa reported their Kawasaki dirt bike had just been stolen. The victim followed the suspect and contacted 911. Law enforcement responded and recovered a stolen Polaris RZR, which was later confirmed to have been stolen from Van Wall Power Sports in Indianola, Iowa. The Kawasaki dirt bike was not recovered at that time.
• March 26, 2025: Based on information gathered during the dirt bike investigation, Wapello County deputies requested assistance from the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office. Their Deputies responded to a residence in Bussey, Iowa, where they recovered the stolen Kawasaki dirt bike after an individual attempted to flee and discard the vehicle.
• March 27, 2025: A U-Haul trailer was located abandoned behind a barn in a remote, rural area in Wapello County. Investigators traced it back and confirmed it had been stolen on May 23, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa, although it had not yet been reported to law enforcement.
• June 1, 2025: A 2017 Polaris RZR XP 1000 was stolen from RJ Performance in Ottumwa, Iowa. Surveillance footage showed two suspects committing the theft. Additional cameras in Wapello County captured the stolen RZR traveling toward Mahaska County.
• June 2, 2025: A 2021 Polaris RZR was again stolen from RJ Performance. Video surveillance captured the suspects committing the theft.
• June 5, 2025: Wapello County investigators obtained and executed a search warrant for a residence in Bussey, Iowa, with the assistance of Mahaska County deputies. During the search, critical interviews were conducted that advanced the investigation significantly.
• June 8, 2025: Information gathered from interviews was shared with the Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. Deputies in Colorado then went and recovered the 2021 Polaris RZR stolen from RJ Performance in a rural area within their jurisdiction.
• August 12, 2025: Wapello County investigators contacted the Lincoln, Nebraska, Drug Task Force with intelligence that the stolen 2023 Yanmar UTV from Greiner’s Implement was in their jurisdiction. A search warrant was executed by them, and the stolen UTV was successfully recovered.
• September 17, 2025: The final outstanding stolen vehicle, a 2017 Polaris RZR taken from RJ Performance, was found abandoned in the woods in Marion County, Iowa by individuals working in the area.

Photos of some of the stolen UTVs were also shared.

The WCSO said charges are pending against Keegel for the multiple thefts related to this case.