A Burlington man is facing multiple charges after a motorcycle incident along U.S. Highway 61 on Wednesday led to the discovery of a stolen vehicle and false identification.
On June 11, 2025, at approximately 2:55 p.m., Des Moines County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the area of U.S. Highway 61 and 130th Street for a report of a possible motorcycle accident and a verbal altercation between a man and a woman.
Deputies located a male subject in the 13000 block of Highway 61. The individual initially gave deputies a false name but was later identified as 61-year-old William Gene Henson of Burlington, Iowa. Deputies were informed by the Burlington Police Department that Henson was a suspect in the theft of a motorcycle reported stolen earlier that day.
Further investigation revealed that Henson did not possess a valid driver’s license. He was placed under arrest for providing false identification information.
Deputies later found a 2009 Harley Davidson motorcycle in the 11000 block of 130th Street. The motorcycle had minor damage and appeared to have been laid down. A registration check confirmed it was the same vehicle reported stolen out of Burlington.
The female involved was located near the original incident site. She told deputies that Henson had picked her up on the motorcycle earlier in the day and drove to the area where the vehicle eventually became inoperable.
Henson was taken into custody and transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center. He faces charges of Theft in the 2nd Degree, Providing False Identification Information, and Driving Without a Valid License.
Authorities remind the public that criminal charges are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Martha L. Coil, 82, a resident of Ankeny, passed away Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines.
Marian Louise Luedtke, 77, a resident of Grimes, Iowa, formerly of Fairfield,