Man gets jail, probation for false report

STEVENS POINT - A 20-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man accused of falsely reporting a capsized boat in the Wisconsin River in Stevens Point was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and two years of probation.

Zachary Linzmeier was charged in connection with an incident that began shortly after 4 a.m. Oct. 25, when he reported a boat was stuck in the Verso Corp. dam and capsized, spilling multiple people into the river, according to a criminal complaint.

Linzmeier appeared Wednesday in Portage County Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to criminal damage to property, resisting or obstructing an officer and entering a locked building, according to court records. The charges are all misdemeanors.

In addition to jail and probation, Linzmeier was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and pay restitution and other costs in connection with the criminal damage to property charge. The judge ordered a cost hearing be held to determine what costs remain to the Hull, Plover and Stevens Point fire departments.

Linzmeier also received an imposed and stayed nine-month jail sentence that could be reimposed if he violates the terms of his probation. He received concurrent sentences on the remaining charges.

Employees at Verso Corp. told police they found Linzmeier in the main building and later found broken windows and other damage on the property, the complaint said. Levers inside the building had been pulled, which caused the dam generators to stop and the power to go out to part of the building.

Emergency crews asked Canadian National to stop train traffic while they responded to the incident near the railroad bridge, the complaint said. Two medical helicopters and a dive team from Marathon County were asked to respond to the incident.

The investigation by police eventually found Linzmeier was intoxicated and no boat had capsized, the complaint said. A preliminary breath test indicated Linzmeier had a 0.183 percent blood alcohol content. The legal limit for driving in Wisconsin is 0.08.

Chris Mueller can be reached at 715-345-2251 and christopher.mueller@gannettwisconsin.com. Follow him on Twitter as @AtChrisMueller.