A plea bargain reduced a felony charge against a former Holmes Beach man who led officers on a chase that ended in a crash on Key Royale Drive.
William S. Wilkes, 56, now of Bradenton, pleaded no contest June 24 to misdemeanor counts of disobeying a police officer — reduced from fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer — and driving under the influence. He also pleaded no contest to felony possession of cocaine.
For the DUI crash, 12th Circuit Judge Susan Maulucci sentenced Wilkes to 10 days in jail, a one-year driver’s license suspension and 12 months DUI probation, including 100 hours of public service. She also imposed costs and fines of more than $1,900. Wilkes can substitute additional public service for fines at $10 per hour, according to the court order.
Maulucci ordered a two-year probation period and withheld adjudication for possessing cocaine.
Wilkes led Holmes Beach police on an August 2015 chase from the 5400 block of Marina Drive to the 500 block of Key Royale Drive, where he crashed a truck into a sign post and mailbox.
Wilkes is charged in another case for driving impaired and causing a February crash in the 4300 block of Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton.
A pretrial on that charge is set at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.