Man Charged With Felony DWI Following South St. Paul Traffic Stop
Published: June 24th, 2026
SOUTH SAINT PAUL MN: A 35-year-old man is facing a felony DWI charge stemming from a South St. Paul traffic stop. According to the criminal complaint, the charge is enhanced because he has three prior DWI convictions within the past 10 years.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court, Ryan Scott McDonough is charged with one count of first-degree driving while impaired (.08 or more) with three or more prior impaired driving incidents, a felony punishable by three to seven years in prison and a fine ranging from $4,200 to $14,000 if convicted.
According to the complaint, a South St. Paul police officer on routine patrol on June 20 observed a vehicle being driven without a functioning license plate light and initiated a traffic stop.
After approaching the vehicle, the officer identified the driver as McDonough. According to the complaint, McDonough allegedly stated without being asked, "I was drinking. I shouldn't be drinking."
The complaint states that when the officer asked whether he felt impaired, McDonough allegedly replied, "Yes." When asked how much he had consumed that night, he reportedly answered, "Too much."
The officer reported observing bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol coming from McDonough, according to the complaint.
McDonough declined to perform field sobriety tests but agreed to provide a preliminary breath test, which allegedly registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.171. At the police station, a DataMaster breath test reportedly measured his alcohol concentration at 0.16, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges McDonough has three prior DWI convictions within the past decade: a misdemeanor conviction in 2019, a gross misdemeanor conviction in 2024 and another gross misdemeanor conviction in February 2026.
A criminal complaint contains only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.