Property Crimes, Habitual Felon Status Lead To Prison Term

Johnny Shane Biles, 51, of Hickory, will serve seven to 10 years in prison following his conviction for felony breaking/entering and receiving a lost or stolen card along with his admission of habitual felon status

The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed terms of the active sentence after Biles entered the guilty plea during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, August 25, 2025.

The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.

Biles entered the guilty plea on the day his case was set for trial. His sentence was lengthened by habitual felon status stemming from convictions for breaking/entering (January 2000) and larceny after break/enter (November 2004), both in Catawba County, and for larceny after break/enter (February 2007) in Lincoln County.

The breaking/entering offense occurred on January 17, 2024, at storage units. Multiple victims told investigators that locks were cut off their units and items taken from inside.

Video footage showed the defendant’s vehicle parked at the storage unit location on January 17, 2024. His ankle monitor for probation also revealed that he was at the site. A traffic stop of Biles’ vehicle led to the recovery of tools used to commit the crimes.

In May 2022, an employee of a Long View business lost a financial card, and it was used at two locations before being declined at a third. Video footage from one of the businesses showed Biles using the card. Footage from another showed him in the parking lot at the location around time of the transaction. He also was seen on camera attempting to make the purchase that was declined.

Josh Rector of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Department and Dennis Hardin of Long View Police Department investigated the cases. Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles prosecuted the matters for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Jordan Arney.