Stephen Van Vleit and his attorney Chris Van Wagner. |
No contest plea today in drunken driving death Sept. 18, 2008 Prison appears to be in the cards for an Antigo man who last summer plowed his vehicle through a local motel room, killing a patron as he slept inside.
Today, Langlade County District Attorney Ralph Uttke said he would cap his recommendation at 25 years when a sentencing hearing is held Dec. 3 for Stephen Van Vleit.
Van Vleit, 59, of 226 Superior St. has remained an inmate of the local lockup since July 18, 2007 when during the early morning hours he crashed his pickup truck through a window at the Good Nite Inn.
Jesus Quirios-Castillo, 26, was killed while his brother, also asleep, escaped injury as Van Vleit’s GMC Yukon rolled through the room, crashed out the other side and came to rest after striking a parked vehicle. The pair were here for only one night as they had been hired for work later that morning at a local retail store.
Officials alleged Van Vleit was drunk, specifically more than five times the legal limit, and today he pleaded no contest to two felony charges — homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle.
Combined, the counts call for up to 35 years in prison, $125,000 in fines or both.
With representation coming from Attorney Christopher Van Wagner of Madison, Van Vleit also pleaded no contest to a felony count of bail jumping, one of three bail violations filed against him. Two others were dismissed but will be read-in for sentencing purposes.
Those counts stemmed from charges Van Vleit continued to consume alcohol after his release from jail and the subsequent payment of over $225,000 in cash.
Bond was initially set at $25,000 cash, and was quickly posted with a stipulation for no alcohol use. Three months later, VanVleit was arrested for violating those conditions, a new felony charge of bond jumping was added, and an additional $75,000 cash bond was set. VanVleit posted that amount too.
One month later he was back in jail for another alcohol offense, a second bail jumping count, and a new $125,000 bond.
He posted that amount two weeks later and remained free until February of this year when he was charged again after testing positive for alcohol on his required daily visit to the jail.
He is currently jailed on a $1 million bond, a new record for Langlade County.
The issue of whether the posted bail money will be forfeited to the county is expected to be decided at completion of the sentencing hearing.
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