Adapted from the Lamesa Press Reporter

A Seminole man was sentenced to a term of 60 years in prison Thursday after accepting a plea bargain agreement in the 106th Judicial District Court. Heinrich Franz Peters, 39, of Seminole was arrested on February 14th of this year for Driving While Intoxicated, enhanced to a felony for having three or more prior convictions for the same offense. Assistant District Attorney Sammy McCreary presented to the Court that Peters had been previously convicted for DWI four times (1988, 1990, 1992, and 1996) in Gaines County, twice in Dawson County (1989, 1990) and twice in Lubbock County (1993, 1996). Peters had already served 6 years of a 20 year sentence for his 1996 DWI convictions. A warrant for a parole violation was issued shortly after his February arrest.

According to the report, Peters was arrested by Officer Kris Harmon of the Lamesa Police Department shortly after midnight on February 14th. The report stated that Peters had been traveling west bound in the 1000 Block of North 4th Street when he ran a red light at a high rate of speed, nearly causing a collision. Officer Harmon stated in his report that he found Peters to have a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and person, and had to use his truck for support to keep from falling down. Peters refused all sobriety tests and also refused breath and blood tests.

During the sentencing phase, District Judge Carter Scheldnik, ruled that Peters sentence on this charge would not begin until the remaining 14 years of his previous sentence had been served. By state law, Peters must serve a minimum 2/3rds (40 years) of this sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Two others agreeing to plea bargain agreements were Devin Wayne Matlock, 19 years of age, and Juan Carlos Estrata, 22 years of age. Matlock was sentenced to 10 years felony probation on charges of Burglary of a Building. He was also ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution to the business owner, $1,000 in fines, serve 200 hours of community service, and $964.00 in court costs. Estrata was sentenced to five years felony probation on charges of deadly conduct and child endangerment. On top of the five years probation he was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine, 100 hours of community service, and pay $875.00 in court costs.