EC man fined for seven OAR convictions in one year

Dan Holtz, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·3 min read

May 24—EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man was fined $4,073 for seven operating after revocation arrests over a 12-month period.

Robert D. Erickson, 57, 1334 Barron St., pleaded no contest recently in Eau Claire County Court to seven misdemeanor counts of operating after revocation and an unrelated misdemeanor count of retail theft.

The seven OAR arrests occurred between April 11, 2021, and April 2.

According to the criminal complaints:

—An Eau Claire police officer performed a traffic stop April 11, 2021, of a vehicle that was northbound on Bolles Street. The officer learned that the driver, Erickson, had his driver's license revoked related to a conviction for a drunken driving-related offense.

—On Aug. 18, an officer conducted a random registration check of a vehicle that was traveling on Clairemont Avenue and Menomonie Street. The officer learned the vehicle's registration was suspended and initiated a traffic stop.

After contacting Erickson, the driver, the officer conducted a records check and found that Erickson had a revoked driver's license. He was also subject to active bond conditions prohibiting him from driving without a valid license.

Erickson told the officer he wasn't sure if his license was revoked.

—On Sept. 19, an Altoona police officer saw a car driving on Otter Road and that two of the three rear brake lights were not functioning. Erickson was driving.

A records check showed that the vehicle had an expired registration and that Erickson's license was revoked.

—On Oct. 6, an Eau Claire police officer noticed a car leaving a gas station parking lot on Clairemont Avenue. He conducted a random registration check and noticed the vehicle's registration was expired.

Erickson was driving. The officer then learned that Erickson's driving status was revoked.

—On Jan. 4, a police officer saw a vehicle without a front license plate fail to display a turn signal when it exited a tavern near the intersection of Menomonie Street and Clairemont Avenue. The vehicle, driven by Erickson, then ran a red light before traveling north on Clairemont Avenue.

The officer initiated a traffic stop and learned that Erickson did not have a driver's license. A records check showed that Erickson's driving status was revoked.

—On Feb. 26, an Eau Claire County Sheriff's deputy noticed a car being driven on Golf Road by a man he recognized as Erickson. The officer followed Erickson's vehicle, which was weaving in and out of traffic at a speed higher than the flow of other traffic.

The deputy learned that Erickson had multiple open cases, several of which had bond conditions prohibiting him from driving without a valid license. Police dispatchers confirmed that Erickson's license was revoked.

—On April 2, the same deputy saw Erickson's vehicle leaving a parking lot at London Road and Henry Avenue in the town of Washington.

The deputy initiated a traffic stop after learning that Erickson had a revoked driver's license.