A Pulaski man has been charged with his 11th drunken driving offense after being arrested Saturday in Cecil.
Terrance L. Manthei, 47, could face a maximum possible penalty of 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine. State statutes also mandate a minimum sentence of four years if convicted.
Shawano County sheriff’s deputies responding to a reckless driving complaint on state Highway 22 shortly before 2 a.m. caught up with a vehicle matching the description on Warrington Avenue and followed it to the Cecil Mobil station, according to the criminal complaint.
Manthei failed a field sobriety test, and a preliminary breath test showed an alcohol level of 0.26 percent, more than three times the legal limit, according to the complaint. Deputies also found an open can of beer in the vehicle, the complaint states.
According to court records, Manthei has 10 previous convictions for operating while intoxicated dating back to 1989, including five out of state.
OWI offenses at this level are rare, according to Greg Parker, Shawano-Menominee County district attorney.
“We don’t see 10 or above very often,” Parker said. “Unfortunately, we see 5, 6, 7, 8 relatively frequently.”
Parker said Shawano County is also seeing an increasing number of OWI cases with increasingly higher blood/alcohol counts.
Manthei’s two most recent OWI convictions were in Nebraska in June 1999 and December 1999. He also has two convictions in Iowa and one in Colorado.
Court records also show two convictions in Oconto County and three in Shawano County.
The most recent in this area was in 2000 in Shawano County for what was then his fifth OWI offense, which at the time was a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to one year in jail and had his license revoked for three years. He was subsequently sentenced to two years’ probation for failure to report to jail.
On two occasions — once in Oconto County and once in Iowa — Manthei was convicted of refusing to submit to a request for a blood draw. Violations of the implied consent law can be counted as OWI convictions.
There was no information available on his sentencing for any of the out-of-state convictions.
Manthei was freed on a $5,500 signature bond after a court appearance before Judge James Habeck on Monday. The district attorney’s office had requested a $10,000 cash bond.
Manthei is due back in court Aug. 26 for an adjourned initial appearance.
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