A Waterville town councilmember will not spend time in jail after being given a suspended sentence in response to his guilty plea.  

Prosecutors dropped felony charges of eluding and witness tampering against 34-year-old Cody Preugschat in exchange for his guilty plea to misdemeanor reckless driving and making a false statement to police.  

Preugschat was accused of speeding away from a traffic stop in October of 2022 and convincing a friend to lie about his whereabouts at the time of the attempted stop.  

Under his sentence, Preugschat will have to pay $1,460 in fees and fines and serve two years on probation.  

He's the Position #3 Town Council member in Waterville, having been elected four years ago.  

Deputies say they ended their chase of Preugschat on suspicion of DUI after he reached speeds of 85-90 mph on the way to Waterville on Oct. 8.   

His pickup truck was later tracked down at his residence.  

Detectives say Preugschat lied by telling them that on the night of the chase, he spent the night at a friend’s house in Yakima after the friend drove him there.  

Preugschat’s friend confirmed his alibi, however when a deputy told him that he knew both he and Preugschat were lying, he confessed that Cody asked him to cover for him, knowing that the cops were investigating the incident.  

 Douglas County District Court Judge Eric Biggar signed out on Preugschat’s terms while presiding over the county Superior Court Wednesday. 

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