Rapid City man gets prison time for 16th DUI

RAPID CITY (AP) — A Rapid City man has been convicted of drunken driving for the 16th time.

Sixty-year-old Robert Groethe was accused of driving drunk and hitting a parked car outside a Rapid City casino on June 19. He received a two-year prison sentence earlier this month.

Prosecutor Sarah Morrison tells the media Groethe has a 35-year record of drinking and driving and is a danger to the community. She says he has been arrested 19 times and that 11 of his 16 convictions have been felony offenses.

Groethe pleaded guilty to the latest DUI charge. Authorities dropped a charge of driving with a revoked license. Morrison says the two-year prison term was the longest allowed under state law. Groethe will be eligible for parole in less than a year.

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