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Driver charged with 10th OWI

Suspect released from prison eight months ago

A Weyauwega man who spent seven of the past 14 years behind bars for felony OWIs is now in custody on a $10,000 cash bond.

Mark E. Knaus, 58, was charged Monday, June 25, with a 10th operating while intoxicated, hit and run, operating after revocation, illegal possession of a prescription drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor bail jumping.

At 12:15 p.m. Monday, June 18, Clintonville police responded to a hit-and-run complaint at the corner of Main and 12th streets.

The driver told Capt. Dennis Schroeder she was stopped at the intersection when a black Buick rear-ended her car, then left the scene. The accident caused minor damage, according to the criminal complaint.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m. that same day, Waupaca county Sheriff’s Deputy Clint Schroeder stopped a black car on County Trunk X near Loss Road in Mukwa.

Schroeder reported the vehicle was speeding, its registered owner had a revoked driver’s license and the vehicle had drifted onto the shoulder twice.

Weyauwega Police Sgt. Brandon Leschke, who assisted at the scene, suspected Knaus was under the influence of something and conducted field sobriety tests while Deputy Schroeder searched the vehicle.

Schroeder reported finding a bottle of Zolpidem prescribed to Knaus and a bottle of Trasadone without a prescription label.

Trazadone is a prescription drug used to treat depression and insomnia. Its side effects include drowsiness.
Zolpidem is a sedative used to treat insomnia.

Accordiong to the criminal complaint, Knaus said “a buddy” of his left the Trazadone in his car.

Schroeder also found a snorting straw with residue.

Knaus was convicted of nine prior OWI or prohibited alcohol content offenses between August 1991 and January 2017.

On Aug. 25, 2004, Outagamie County Circuit Court sentenced Knaus to 24 months in prison and 36 months extended supervision for a sixth offense.

On Dec. 16, 2004, Dodge County sentenced him to 16 months in prison for a seventh offense, to be served consecutively to his Outagamie County sentence.

On Jan. 24, 2008, Outagamie County revoked his extended supervision and sentenced him to six months in prison.

On Nov. 12, 2013, Waupaca County sentenced Knaus to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision for an eighth offense.

On Jan. 18, 2017, Waupaca County sentenced Knaus to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision for a ninth OWI and illegal possession of prescription drugs.

On Oct. 2, 2017, Knaus completed the Earned Release Program and the state Department of Corrections released him from custody.

In April 2018, Knaus was cited with two counts of operating after revocation, failure to keep a vehicle under control, hit and run, and failure to notify police of an accident.

If convicted of a 10th OWI, Knaus can serve a maximum of 15 years in prison and a minimum of four years in prison.

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