A serial drunk driver will spend time in a Cass County jail cell after he was arrested for operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level at nearly three times the legal limit.

Judge Michael Dodge sentenced 28-year-old Zachary James Wilson, of Three Rivers, to 210 days in jail and two years of probation during his hearing Thursday in Cass County court, on a single charge of operating while intoxicated. Wilson pleaded guilty to the crime during an earlier appearance in court Sept. 12.

According to the judge, Wilson was arrested during the early morning hours of May 20, after an officer with the Michigan State Police pulled over the vehicle the Three Rivers man was driving on M-60, near Jones. The state trooper decided to stop Wilson after observing that the man was unable to control his vehicle, swaying back and forth between lanes of traffic.

Noticing Wilson, the sole occupant of the vehicle, smelled like alcohol, the officer administered a field sobriety test, which the driver failed. The trooper then gave Wilson a breathalyzer test, which showed he had .26 percent blood-alcohol level; an additional test conducted once he was booked in Cass County Jail confirmed the initial reading, Dodge said.

“That [blood-alcohol level] is extremely high, and no doubt evidence you are probably an alcoholic,” Dodge said, addressing the defendant in court Thursday.

The Three Rivers man has an extensive history with drinking and driving, the judge said. Since his first conviction for operating while intoxicated in 2006, he has been arrested four other times for the offense, including twice as a felon.

On top of his conviction in Cass County, Wilson is facing charges for possession of methamphetamine and possession of a switchblade home in St. Joseph County, stemming from an arrest Oct. 9 while out on bond for the drunk driving charge.

“At age 28, he [Wilson] needs to start taking advantage of the rest of his life,” said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz during his statements to the court Thursday. “He has squandered his time so far with drugs and foolish decisions.”

Wilson’s attorney, Gregory Feldman, told the judge his client acknowledges that his behavior the last several months was foolish. However, people who know Wilson also say he is reliable and is a hard worker with a good work ethic, Feldman said.

“All those things get pushed aside when he uses methamphetamine or alcohol,” Feldman said. “To me that shows he has a very bright future if he can break free from those problems.”

Wilson declined the chance to speak on his own behalf Thursday.

Wilson was given credit for five days already served behind bars. Dodge also ordered that his jail sentence could be served at a correctional facility in St. Joseph County, depending on what sentence he receives for the charges pending him against him there.