Town councilman charged with DWI

Poestenkill man had BAC of 0.24, sheriff ’s office says

A tow n cou nci l man r unning for re- elec t ion was t ic keted for ag g ravated DW I i n a t wo- veh icle accident i n which his blood- a lcohol content was t hree t i mes t he lega l l i mit , t he Rensselaer Count y Sher i f f ’s Of f ice sa id Monday.

Republic a n Counci lman Er ic Wohlleber ’s DW I cha rge on Fr iday even i ng c a me less t ha n f ive week s before t he Nov. 5 elec t ion.

The accident occu r red at 4: 50 p. m. Fr iday at t he i ntersec t ion of Pla n a nd Blue Factor y roads, accord i ng to deputies. The ot her d r iver was not ser iously i nju red, deput ies sa id .

Wohlleber ’s blooda lcohol content was 0. 24, Sher i f f Pat r ic k Russo con f i r med. The lega l l i mit i s 0.08.

Wohlleber, 42 , was t ic keted for ag g ravated d r iv i ng whi le i ntox ic ated, fa i lu re to obey a y ield sig n a nd fa i lu re to y ield at a n i ntersec t ion. Wohlleber i s schedu led to appea r on Oct . 21 i n Poesten k i l l Tow n Cour t .

Wohlleber a nd fel low Republic a n Counci l man Ha rold Va n Slyke face Democratic cha l lenger Susa n Mullen Ka l a f ut i n t he genera l elec t ion for a fou r- yea r ter m on t he Tow n Boa rd . Ka l a f ut i s t he ch ief of st a f f a nd spokeswoma n for Dist r ic t At tor ney Mar y Pat Donnel ly.

“We’l l be seek i ng a specia l prosecutor,” Donnel ly sa id , cit i ng Wohlleber ’s elec t ive of f ice, his fa mily t ies a nd Ka l a f ut ’s c a mpa ig n.

Wohlleber i s a for mer spokesma n for t he dist r ic t at tor ney ’s of f ice, holdi ng t he post when for mer Dist r ic t At tor ney Pat r ici a D’A ngel i s was i n of f ice.

The son- i n- l aw of St ate Supreme Cour t Justice Ray mond J. El l iot t III, Wohl leber work s i n public relat ions a nd ha s worked for t he st ate Senate Republic a ns.

Wohl leber made a br ief r un for t he st ate Senate l a st yea r, but w it hdrew a s Republic a ns opted to back Sen. Daphne Jorda n, R- Ha l f moon, who was elec ted i n t he 43rd Dist r ic t to succeed ret i r i ng St ate Sen. Kat h leen Marchione, R- Ha l f moon.

It ’s a nticipated t hat t he Poesten k i l l tow n just ices w i l l a sk to have t he c a se a ssig ned to a not her cou r t .

Wohlleber i s represented by at tor ney Joseph A hea r n of Troy.

“Er ic ’s a ha rd worker, a ded ic ated public ser va nt ,” A hea r n sa id . “Hopef u l ly, he w i l l not be def i ned by t his one i ncident .”