Becker County (trfnews.i234.me) — A rural Dent man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after pleading guilty to felony first-degree DWI. The sentencing took place on November 7 in Becker County District Court.
Court records identify the driver as Matthew Robert White, 35. A second felony DWI count was dismissed as part of a plea deal. The charges came from an incident reported on June 20, 2023, along Highway 87.
A state trooper stopped White after receiving reports of erratic driving. The stop happened on a Highway 87 exit ramp. The trooper’s report said White showed slurred speech and slow body movements. His eyelids were very heavy during the stop.
White said he had taken a double dose of anxiety medication and had low blood sugar. He had trouble standing and needed help staying balanced. A breath test at the jail showed a .14% blood alcohol level. The legal limit in Minnesota is .08%. A half-consumed bottle of Fireball whiskey was found inside the vehicle.
White has a long DWI history. He was convicted of DWI in North Dakota in 2013, 2019, and 2022. Minnesota law allows harsher penalties for drivers with past DWI convictions. More details on state DWI laws are available through the Minnesota Statutes.
District Judge Michelle Lawson sentenced White to 51 months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud. White received credit for 110 days served in jail. He was also fined $50 and charged $75 in court fees.
The sentence will run at the same time as an August 6, 2023, case in Otter Tail County. In that case, White received a 54-month prison sentence for felony refusal to submit to DWI testing. That incident involved a Ring camera video showing White driving a golf cart while extremely intoxicated.
After serving his prison time, White will be on conditional release for five years. Court schedules and case details can be viewed on the Minnesota Court Records Portal.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.