Scott Rhinock, 50, of Lakeview, was charged with a felony count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs as a result of a traffic stop early Thursday morning.
Officers of the Washington Township Police Department observed his vehicle in the area of U.S. Route 33 about 12:05 a.m. make a turn into a residential area just west of Russells Point. Officers were aware that Rhinock did not have a valid driver’s license.
The vehicle then come out of the residential area and nearly caused an accident with the patrol vehicle.
Officers initiated the traffic stop. While speaking with the defendant, officers observed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle. He advised that he had been drinking, stating that he consumed three beers.
Rhinock participated in and failed field sobriety testing and was placed under arrest. This is Rhinock’s seventh OVI arrest, with previous OVI convictions in 2003, two in 2008, 2010, and two in 2011, officers said.
Rhinock was transported to the Logan County Jail. He also was cited for driving without a license and driving under suspension.
• A case has been forwarded to the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office for possible charges relating to a traffic stop about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, where officers recovered a white crystal substance, a glass meth pipe and a counterfeit $20 bill. The seized items will be sent to the lab for testing.
The driver, a 40-year-old Lakeview woman, reportedly became upset when asked if there was anything illegal inside the vehicle. She told officers she thought she still had meth inside her purse, stating she did clean it out earlier but was unsure if anything else was left inside.
Officers said the passenger, a 29-year-old Van Wert man, also was acting suspiciously and was not wearing a shirt during the chilly weather conditions.