A former Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy charged with a second DWI in two years pleaded guilty Thursday.

Glen John Pothen, 45, of Roseville was charged this summer in Dakota County with two counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol and one count of careless driving.

Pothen pleaded guilty Thursday to one DWI charge; the other two charges were dismissed.

Judge Christopher Lehmann sentenced him to 28 days of electronic monitoring and up to three years of supervised probation.

Pothen is no longer employed by the sheriff’s office, spokesman Sgt. John Eastham said Friday.

Pothen will undergo a chemical dependency assessment as part of his probation and will follow any recommended treatment, his attorney, Judith Ann Samson, said Thursday.

“He is committed to making sure this never happens again,” she said.

Pothen is accused of rear-ending a car on County Road 5 and Knox Drive in Burnsville just after noon June 6. Officers who responded to the scene said Pothen was walking with poor balance and speaking with a “thick tongue,” according to a criminal complaint.

A breath test showed a blood-alcohol level twice the 0.08 legal limit for driving, the complaint said.

In February, Pothen was convicted of driving while intoxicated in Isanti County in 2014. In that case, a car carrying three children was forced off the road.

He has worked as a sheriff’s deputy since 1998.

Katie Kather can be reached at 651-228-5006. Follow her at twitter.com/ktkather.

John Eastham



Sergeant, Public Affairs / Data Practices



Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office



I can confirm that Pothen is not currently employed by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.

