Shawn Moody, 47, of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, was arraigned Friday, Sept. 25, on a felony operating while intoxicated charge after crashing a vehicle into a Dodgeville apartment building on July 4.

Moody appeared via Zoom in Houghton County's 97th District Court. The OWI charge, which normally carries a 93-day misdemeanor sentence, was elevated to a felony because of three prior OWI convictions, according to the Keweenaw Report.

District Judge Nicholas Daavettila told Moody during the arraignment that he had been convicted of operating while intoxicated in 2007 and operating under the influence of liquor in 2002, both in the same Houghton court. Moody's record also includes a 2023 OWI conviction in Wisconsin.

The July 4 crash happened on Main Street in Dodgeville, in Portage Township, at about 11:40 p.m. According to the Mining Gazette, a driver lost control at a high rate of speed, struck an apartment building and fled the scene. Deputies later located and arrested Moody.

The Houghton County Prosecutor's Office had been waiting on blood-alcohol results from the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Toxicology Unit lab in Lansing before filing charges, Houghton County Prosecutor Dan Helmer confirmed in an Aug. 18 update.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ball told the court that Moody was arrested again Aug. 24 for operating while intoxicated. "He's a very grave risk to the community. He's already caused serious damage," Ball said, requesting a cash bond and a monitoring device.

Moody pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of operating on a suspended or revoked license. The court could not accept a plea on the felony OWI charge at the district level.

Daavettila set bond at $5,000. Moody already wears a sweat-monitoring device in Wisconsin that detects alcohol consumption. The judge ruled a second Houghton County device was unnecessary, provided the court receives violation alerts from the Wisconsin monitor.

The court appointed Tri-County Public Defenders to represent Moody after he said he could not afford an attorney. Defense Attorney David Gemingani asked the court to allow Moody to continue appearing from Wisconsin, where he is also facing a Door County court matter tied to the August arrest.

Moody must return to Michigan within seven days of the arraignment to meet with a probation officer. A probable cause hearing and preliminary examination are scheduled in the weeks following the Sept. 25 arraignment.