Huron County Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski announced recently that a 44-year-old Kinde man was found guilty of operating while intoxicated, third offense, after a May incident where he ran his vehicle into a building.
Corey Matthew Sockow, 44, was found guilty of the OWI, as well as a charge of driving with a suspended license, following a one day jury trial on Wednesday, October 26, 2023 in Huron County’s Circuit Court. The charges stem from Sockow’s actions on May 18, 2023, when he drove his truck into the side of a local bar, with the man being charged the next day by Prosecutor Rutkowski.
An additional charge for resisting and obstructing was dropped earlier this year, though the jury was still able to see footage from Dep. Erin McArdle of the Huron County Sheriff’s Department, which showed Sockow being verbally abusive and generally uncooperative with investigating police.
The jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before returning verdicts of guilty for each charge. Operating While Intoxicated-Third Offense is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. A second offense of driving with a suspended license is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.
Sockow will be sentenced as a Habitual Offender-Fourth Offense due to prior felony convictions, including those in Tuscola and Oakland counties, which means the maximum sentence on the felony can be enhanced. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, at 9:00 a.m.
