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Soberlink leads to felony charges

Three defendants in drunken driving cases now face felony bail jumping charges thanks to an alcohol-monitoring system recently introduced by the courts in Waupaca County.

Called Soberlink, the hand-held device collects a deep-lung breath test, measures the breath alcohol concentration and takes a photo of the individual to confirm his identity.

The device submits the test results to a monitoring website that sends instant alerts to notify law enforcement if there are signs of alcohol use.

Defendants on Soberlinlk are required to maintain absolute sobriety and test themselves according to a schedule. If they blow positive, they must continue taking the test every 30 minutes until the result shows no alcohol is present.

They must also respond to any voice messages from law enforcement within 24 hours.

Due to Soberlink, bail jumping charges have been filed against Joshua S. Hadlock, 28, Waupaca; Debra A. Dombrowski, 48, Amherst Junction; and Charles G. Thiele, 52, Iola.

On Feb. 3, Dombrowski was charged with a felony sixth drunken driving offense. She was released on a $5,000 signature bond with the condition that she comply with Soberlink requirements.

According to the criminal complaint, Dombrowski missed a scheduled test at approximately 9 p.m. on March 1. She took the test at 9:30 p.m. and reportedly had a 0.031 BAC.

Sgt. Chris Andraschko received notification that Dombrowski had failed the test.

When he went online and checked Dombrowski’s test record, Andraschko found she had three prior positive test results reported on Feb. 15, Feb. 19 and Feb. 22.

On Feb. 4, Hadlock was charged with a felony fourth drunken driving offense and operating after revocation.

According to the criminal complaint, Hadlock was released from custody on a $2,000 signature bond with the condition that he comply with Soberlink requirements.

On Feb. 23, Hadlock reportedly tested positive for alcohol five times. His test results ranged from 0.056 BAC and 0.025 between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.

On Feb. 20, Thiele was charged with a fifth drunken driving offense and released on a $2,000 signature bond with the condition that he comply with the Soberlink program.

On Feb. 28, Thiele reportedly tested for a 0.029 BAC at 8 a.m.

Felony bail jumping carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison upon conviction.

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