Charges: Man Without License Was 4 Times Over Legal Alcohol Limit
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A St. Paul man faces a felony charge after Ham Lake police said he drove with a blood-alcohol level that was four times the legal limit.
The Anoka County Attorney's office said 31-year-old Nicholas Robert Ecker was clocked driving more than 80 miles an hour in a 55 miles-per-hour zone Wednesday afternoon. Police said he also swerved across the centerline of Crosstown Boulevard.
Officers pulled Ecker over, and said his vehicle smelled like alcohol. They said his speech was very slurred, and his eyes were watery and bloodshot. An open bottle of rum, which was almost empty, was found on the floor of the passenger's side. When asked how much he had to drink, Ecker allegedly told officers "too much."
Police said he was driving on a cancelled license, and in a vehicle that did not have ignition interlock equipment. He also faces a misdemeanor charge for these violations.
An hour after he was arrested, Ecker reportedly took a breath test which resulted in a blood-alcohol level of .35.
Ecker also has a felony DWI convention in Washington County in 2016. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison.