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A Rochester man was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday for felony driving while intoxicated charges — one of which stemmed from an incident more than four years ago.

Brandon David Stigney was sentenced to 84 months on one count from 2018 of DWI, which involved operating a motor vehicle with any amount of a Schedule 1 or 2 drug, and 65 months for a charge from 2020 of felony DWI-refuse to submit to chemical test as required by a search warrant. The time will be spent concurrent.

In the 2018 case, deputies were reportedly called to a report of a vehicle in the ditch on 245th Street in Freeborn County. While enroute, the deputies were informed the driver was acting inappropriately and hallucinating about other people and animals nearby.

Stigney’s license had been canceled and there were two warrants out for his arrest.

Stigney reportedly told deputies he was out driving when he ran out of gas and pulled into a field drive to park. He had actually gone down an embankment and was in a wet ditch.

At that time, Stigney had previously had two felony DWI convictions, one in 2011 and another in 2014.

Stigney was originally sentenced on the 2018 charge in 2020 and at that time received a stayed prison sentence and supervised probation for seven years, as well as electronic alcohol home monitoring for 30 days, among other conditions.

He has been brought in on probation violations since.

The 2020 charge came after a chase on Freeborn County Road 46. Stigney’s vehicle ultimately spun into a ditch and became disabled in a puddle of water. Based on his driving conduct, behaviors and drastic mood swings, the trooper applied for a search warrant to obtain a chemical blood or urine test, to which Stigney refused.

Stigney will receive credit for 904 days already spent in the Freeborn County jail and will be eligible for conditional release after five years.