Driver with cancelled license charged with 8th DWI

A driver with a cancelled license who was allegedly three times the legal alcohol limit was charged with his fourth felony DWI and his eighth overall.

Robert James Schroeder, 57, of Windom was charged Monday in Blue Earth County Court with two counts of felony DWI.  He also faces a charge of driving after cancellation, a misdemeanor.

A criminal complaint says Mankato police received a complaint Friday night that a possible drunk driver was swerving all over the road and ran a red light.  The caller provided a vehicle description and license plate and reported the driver was getting gas at a local station.

Police arrived at the gas station and spoke to Schroeder, who smelled of alcohol and slurred his words, according to the complaint.  Schroeder allegedly admitted to drinking too much before driving.  Police say he had a difficult time standing and could not follow instructions for impairment tests.

A preliminary breath test put his blood-alcohol content at .24, according to the complaint.

Court records show Schroder has three felony DWI convictions, the latest from 2020, when he was sentenced to four years in state prison. The criminal complaint from that case shows he has also been convicted of DWI in four other cases, making this most recent case his eighth DWI charge.

His Minnesota Department of Corrections profile shows he has been under supervision since June 2022 at a non-DOC facility in the Marshall area.