John Kotovich
RIB MOUNTAIN, WI (WSAU) — A Phoenix, AZ man is accused of his 7th OWI and drug-related charges after a traffic stop in Rib Mountain this week.
John R. Kotovich was pulled over for speeding on Thursday afternoon. When officers smelled marijuana coming from the passenger side of the vehicle, they asked the 76-year-old to do a field sobriety test.
Kotovich failed the testing and was arrested. A search of his vehicle turned up THC and other drug paraphernalia.
He’s being held in the Marathon County jail on a $10,000 bond and is due for court hearings on October 29th and November 3rd.
Kotovich’s record shows at least one previous OWI conviction in 2001, which came in Outagamie County. He was found guilty of a second OWI ten years later in Waupaca County. Additionally, he was found guilty of impersonating a police officer, a misdemeanor, in 2024 and fined $25. That punishment was part of a plea deal that saw the state drop three drug-related charges.
Court records show he also recently relocated to Wausau. If found guilty at trial, he faces up to 12.5 years in prison and thousands in fines.




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