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Crime & Safety

Alleged Drunken Thief Admits to Being Drunken Thief

With a .22 BAC, Steven M. Fehr of Bethlehem not only admitted to stealing the car he had just wrecked in Plainfield Township, but also the Ruger .380 in his possession.

 

A rollover crash in a stolen vehicle. A breath test for alcohol measuring almost three times the legal limit. Possessing a stolen handgun and having a criminal record.

Those allegations have resulted in a long list of charges against a Bethlehem man involved in a crash Wednesday night in the West Bangor section of Plainfield Township.

But a criminal complaint against Steven M. Fehr, 43, shows one thing: He was honest with police.

He admitted he had been drinking. He admitted he had a Ruger .380 with him and that it wasn’t his. He admitted he had a criminal record.

And according to the arresting officer, “The male also at this time stated his friend was going to be pissed because he didn’t know he took the vehicle.”

The complaint, filed by Plainfield officer Scott Zabriskie, also says:

  • Police were called at 8:22pm for a crash at N. Franklin and Second streets in West Bangor, which is northeast of Pen Argyl. Fehr said he was driving a green 1996 Jeep four-door when the vehicle left the road and rolled over.
  • Fehr said he was not hurt. But he had a strong odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. And he was unsteady on his feet. Fehr said he had been drinking Old Milwaukee beer, and the officer found an open Old Milwaukee container in the Jeep.
  • He agreed to a preliminary breath test. It measured .22 percent, almost three times the legal limit of .08 percent. (According to a charge against Fehr, his limit would be .02 percent because of a previous offense.)
  • Zabriskie asked Fehr if he had anything illegal and he said yes – the Ruger .380 that wasn’t his. He also admitted he had a criminal record. The gun was found to be stolen from someone in Pen Argyl. And Pen Argyl police confirmed the gun was stolen.
  • Also found by police was an outstanding warrant for DUI against Fehr.

The complaint lists Fehr’s address as 1520 Irene St. in Bethlehem. But other records in the case list a second address – 574 Bushkill Center Road, Bushkill Township.

Fehr was charged with: possession of firearm prohibited, receiving stolen property, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, blood-alcohol content of .02 or greater for a second offense, unauthorized use of automobiles and other vehicles, DUI – first offense, careless driving, reckless driving, restriction of alcoholic beverages, driving on right side of roadway.

He was arraigned at 2:25am Thursday by on-duty District Judge Robert Hawke of Lehigh Township and committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $50,000 bail.

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