WHITE CLOUD, Mich. (WZZM) - A former Newaygo County jail administrator accused of crashing his Jeep in August after drinking and then lying about it will avoid jail time after pleading guilty Wednesday to two misdemeanor charges.
Matt Froehle, who resigned as jail lieutenant several days after the Aug. 14 accident, appeared for a plea hearing today in Newaygo County District Court.
He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of operating while impaired and lying to a peace officer in a serious misdemeanor investigation.
In exchange for the plea, the drunken driving count was dismissed. It is Froehle's second alcohol-related case. He was cited for impaired driving in March, 2005, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.
Froehle, 32, of Fremont, was ordered to pay $1,490 in fines and costs in both cases and must attend outpatient alcohol treatment program. A 93-day jail sentence was suspended.
The accident occurred shortly after midnight on Dickinson Avenue near 16 Mile Road in Newaygo County's Troy Township. Froehle's 2001 Jeep left the winding road and rolled.
Police initially charged Michael Allen Britton, a Newaygo County corrections officer, with drunken driving. But the charge was dismissed when it was learned that Froehle was behind the wheel.
Britton, 32, a jail corporal, was charged with lying to a peace officer in a serious misdemeanor investigation. The Fremont man pleaded guilty and was sentenced in September. A judge ordered Britton to pay $400 in fines and court costs. Britton also had his jail sentence suspended, court records show.
