Multiple Felony DWI Convictions Send Rochester Man to Prison

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for two felony DWI convictions.

The first case stemmed from a traffic stop in Oronoco in December 2021 that resulted in a blood test that measured 32-year-old Alex Gustafson's blood-alcohol-concentration at .13. The criminal complaint also noted that Gustafson had been convicted of a felony DWI charge about a year earlier and was given a stayed prison sentence.

Gustafson entered a guilty plea in the 2021 case last October and was awaiting sentencing when Rochester police responded to a disturbance involving Gustafson on June 21. The criminal complaint indicates officers were sent to a home on West Center Street in Rochester after a 911 caller reported that Gustafson had a gun and "is on his way to prison and doesn't care."

The court document says the responding officer spoke with the 911 caller when he arrived at the scene and the man told him that Gustafson had driven to his location and tried to pick a fight with him. The man indicated that he responded by putting Gustafson in a headlock in an effort to calm him down. The man then stated that when he released him, Gustafson went to the trunk of the car and put something in his waistband before he "mentioned that he had a gun and more people were coming."

According to the charges, Gustafson was detained and it was discovered that he had a “real-looking” BB gun in his possession. The arresting officer also detected the smell of alcohol on him and a breath test administered nearly 2 hours later at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center measured his blood-alcohol-concentration at .10.

Court records show Gustafson entered a guilty plea to his third felony DWI offense last week and was ordered to serve a 75-month prison sentence. He was given credit for the 27 days he has already spent in jail, but he also faces five years on supervised release once he completes his prison time.