Eagan Man with Five DUI Convictions Facing New Drunk Driving Charges

An Eagan man with five previous DUI convictions was arrested again following another drunk driving incident on April 13, according to Eagan police.

James Michael Fossen, 29, faces four felony counts of first-degree driving while impaired and one gross misdemeanor count of driving with a cancelled license, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Dakota County Attorney's Office. If convicted on a single DWI charge, Fossen could face a maximum of seven years in prison and $14,000 in fines.

A police officer observed Fossen's vehicle traveling 56 mph in a 45 mph zone just before 8 p.m. on April 13 near the Yankee Doodle Road and Surrey Heights Drive in Eagan, the complaint said. The officer conducted a traffic stop and ran Fossen's license, at which point he learned that Fossen's license had been cancelled as inimical to public safety.

The officer asked Fossen to step out of the vehicle and began handcuffing him. At that point, police allegedly smelled alcohol on Fossen. The officer subjected Fossen to a series of field sobriety tests—which he either failed or refused to take, police say.

Police transported Fossen to the Eagan Police Department, where he agreed to a breath test. The test came back with a blood-alcohol level of .15.

Fossen has prior DUI convictions dating back to 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009, according to the complaint. The last two DUIs were felonies, and Fossen finished serving a prison sentence for the last conviction on Jan. 18—just three months before his latest arrest.