COPPO

HOUGHTON — A plea hearing has been scheduled in the case of Houghton County Undersheriff Kevin Coppo, who was arrested on charges related to operating while intoxicated in Traverse City in March.

Coppo is scheduled to enter a plea June 9 in 86th District Court, according to the court’s website.

Coppo faces misdemeanor charges of operating a vehicle with a BAC above .17 and failure to report a vehicular accident. He was also cited for refusing a breathalyzer test.

Coppo was arrested March 3 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City for drunk driving while attending a conference for first responders.

A hotel security officer contacted police after seeing Coppo hit a parked vehicle in the lot.

A security officer at the hotel had seen a silver truck driven by Coppo reverse into an SUV in the parking lot. They found numerous empty cans of alcohol in his hotel room and in the county vehicle he was driving.

Coppo refused a breath test at the scene, but blood tests about two hours later showed blood-alcohol levels of .23 and .24 — about three times the legal limit.

Coppo is on a leave of absence from the sheriff’s office. Sgt. Jon Giachino was appointed as temporary undersheriff in April.