Last month we discussed a 39-year-old York City Councilman who was charged with drunk driving. He had a very good reputation on the council and accepted the consequences for the drunk driving charge. Now, just a few weeks later, a former York City Councilman has turned himself in after a court-ordered arrest.

The 32-year-old man reported to federal authorities in Columbia last Thursday. In 2008, the man was charged with falsifying a $1 million home loan application. On the application, he claimed a monthly income of $35,000 which was refuted by the prosecution. The 32-year-old was charged with felony mortgage fraud and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

However, a U.S. District Court Judge permitted the release of the 32-year-old as he and his wife were expecting a baby. He was going to report to the authorities in April to begin his prison sentence.

The new ruling, though, stems from a drunk driving accident that involved the 32-year-old. He is accused of fleeing the scene, but sometimes a car accident can disorient the drivers or passengers in the car. The 32-year-old may have been trying to go get help. Of course this does not excuse his apparent drunk driving, but car accidents can be very traumatic, and the young man may have been in shock.

There were no breathalyzer readings to go off of in this case because the breath test equipment may have been faulty or it may have been unable to read the amount of breath given by the former councilman. This is the second DUI offense attributed to the 32-year-old, and he could face an additional year of jail time if convicted.

Source: Rock Hill Herald, "Judge orders arrest of ex-York County Councilman Lindemann," Jamie Self, Jan. 12, 2012