(Westville, IN) - A Westville man is facing a felony charge for allegedly driving a moped after consuming too much alcohol.

Kelvin Gross, 57, is charged in La Porte Circuit Court with operating while intoxicated.  The charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a Level 6 felony due to him having a prior OWI conviction from 2024.

La Porte County Police said Gross was pulled over Tuesday evening for operating the moped erratically near his residence on Jefferson St.  Police said a portable breathalyzer showed he was impaired but he refused to take a certified blood alcohol test, which resulted in his automatic arrest for OWI.

On his previous conviction, Gross was sentenced to four days in the La Porte County Jail and spent the remainder of his one-year sentence on probation.  His driver’s license was also suspended for one-year, according to court records. 

Now, Gross could face as much as a 30 month sentence.