Wrong License Plate Leads to 6th OWI Arrest

A Waukesha man is facing his sixth operating while intoxicated charge after he drove a vehicle with a license plate that not only came from another vehicle, but had a number of outstanding parking tickets against it.

William D. Steele, 44, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Tuesday with one count of sixth offense OWI and one count of operating a motor vehicle after revocation of his license. 

According to the criminal complaint:

A Town of Brookfield police officer did a check on Steele’s license plate while travelling westbound on Moreland Boulevard about 3:30 p.m. Monday. The plate was registered to a 1994 Cadillac, but Steele was driving a green Ford Escort wagon. The registration of the plate was also revoked due to a number of unpaid parking tickets.

After being pulled over, Steele said he didn’t have a valid driver’s license and reached into his glove box to hand the office a warranty card for the car. The officer told him he wasn’t looking for that information and asked Steele if he had been drinking. He said, “No, nothing today.”

Steele registered a blood alcohol level of 0.12.

He previously was convicted of OWI in 1990, 1992, 2003, 2004 and 2005, according to the criminal complaint.

Steele was being held in Waukesha County Jail on $10,000 cash bail.