KENOSHA, Wis. – Erik William Bergloff, 59, of Twin Lakes, appeared in Kenosha County Circuit Court Tuesday, October 20, 2026, charged with third-offense operating while intoxicated and third-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration. Kenosha County Court Commissioner Daniel E. “Catch & Release” Kellum set an $850 cash bail after prosecutors alleged Bergloff was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15, nearly twice Wisconsin’s legal limit of 0.08.
According to a criminal complaint, Twin Lakes Police Officer Saunders was patrolling the 400 block of Lance Drive at approximately 11:55 p.m. on October 9 when he noticed a white pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction. The truck’s rear license plate appeared to be unilluminated, prompting Saunders to turn around and conduct a traffic stop near Swanson Court.
After stopping the truck, Saunders discovered that both license plate lights were working but were too dim to illuminate the plate properly. The plate itself was also deteriorating, with reflective material peeling away and making the registration difficult to read in the darkness.
Police identified Bergloff as the driver and immediately noticed several signs of possible intoxication, including glassy eyes, slurred and slowed speech, and the odor of alcohol on his breath. When asked where he was coming from, Bergloff reportedly told the officer he had been at Main Street Tap and acknowledged consuming “one or two” alcoholic beverages.
When Saunders told Bergloff that his speech was slurred, Bergloff responded, “No, I’m not.” According to the complaint, Bergloff initially failed to turn off his truck when instructed, prompting a female passenger, identified as his wife, to sternly tell him to turn off the vehicle. His brother was also riding in the pickup.
Police Say Bergloff Became Confrontational And Refused Sobriety Tests
When Bergloff exited his vehicle, Saunders observed that he was unsteady on his feet and used the driver’s door to maintain his balance. The officer also noticed a folding pocketknife in Bergloff’s front pocket, although a subsequent search revealed no additional weapons.
According to prosecutors, Bergloff became verbally agitated when Saunders explained why he had stopped the truck. Bergloff argued that he should be released because his license plate lights were functioning, despite the officer’s explanation that they were not sufficiently illuminating the plate as required by Wisconsin law.
“This is a bunch of bullshit, just put me in jail and do what you need to do,” Bergloff allegedly told the officer. He subsequently refused to participate in standardized field sobriety testing, even as the officer continued to detect a strong odor of alcohol and observed his slurred speech.
Saunders arrested Bergloff on suspicion of operating while intoxicated. At approximately 1:04 a.m., Officer Henby administered an evidentiary breath test that produced a reported alcohol concentration of 0.15.
Previous Drunk Driving Convictions Date Back Nearly Four Decades
According to the criminal complaint, Bergloff has two previous qualifying drunk driving convictions. The first followed a January 28, 1989, arrest in Illinois, resulting in a conviction on July 17, 1989. His second occurred following a June 20, 2010, incident, with a conviction entered July 9, 2010, in Twin Lakes Village Municipal Court.
The two previous convictions make the latest allegations a third-offense OWI case under Wisconsin law. If convicted, Bergloff faces between 45 days and one year in county jail, fines ranging from $600 to $2,000, and revocation of his driving privileges for two to three years. The two charges arise from the same incident and do not permit separate punishments for both offenses.
$850 Cash Bail Set During Initial Court Appearance
Bergloff appeared before Kellum on Tuesday afternoon with defense attorney Kevin Noonan. Attorney Robert Pelegrin appeared on behalf of the State of Wisconsin during the hearing, which lasted approximately three minutes, from 1:04 p.m. until 1:07 p.m.
Kellum found probable cause, entered a not-guilty plea on Bergloff’s behalf, and set cash bail at $850. Court records indicate the bond was signed the same day, with conditions prohibiting Bergloff from consuming alcohol, possessing controlled substances without a prescription, or driving without a valid license.
Bergloff must also report to Wisconsin Community Services, comply with program requirements, and submit to random urine testing upon request. Attorney Noonan filed a notice of representation and a demand for discovery on Tuesday.
Bergloff is scheduled for a pretrial conference on November 13, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., followed by an in-court judicial pretrial before Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Jodi L. Meier on December 1, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.
