LOGAN, Utah, April 26, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Former Mantua Police Chief Shane Zilles has pleaded guilty to impaired driving after he was pulled over by troopers on Jan. 29 near the mouth of Sardine Canyon.
Shane Jacob Zilles, 49, pleaded guilty to the class-B misdemeanor after an initial plea of not guilty. In exchange for his revised plea, a charge of reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor, was dismissed with prejudice.
According to court records, Zilles was given a choice of two days in jail or five days of community service. He was placed on probation for 12 months. Zilles also was ordered to pay a $1,300 fine, which he has done, court records show.
Zilles is prohibited from using drugs or alcohol during his probation, and must submit to random testing to verify his sobriety.
According to information from the Utah Highway Patrol, Zilles was driving between 85 and 90 mph in a 65 mph zone when he was pulled over. He was driving in a Mantua Police patrol car, but without lights or sirens activated, according to trooper reports.
Zilles was fired by Mantua Mayor Michael Johnson shortly after being arrested.
“We also hope that Mr. Zilles can work his way through this tough time and find a better path in the future,” Johnson said in a prepared statement. “It appears that prescription meds have claimed another good person’s reputation.”
Dashcam video shows the Utah Highway Patrol traffic stop of Zilles, who failed sobriety tests. See the video below:
