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A once-prominent Omaha real estate agent who also served on the board of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority will plead guilty next week to fifth offense driving under the influence.
Kevin D. Irish, 54, faced six charges, one of them a felony, after he was pulled over by La Vista police officers last year.
In the plea deal with Sarpy County prosecutors, those charges were dropped in exchange for a felony DUI charge, which carries a penalty of one to 20 years in prison.
According to La Vista Police Capt. D.J. Barcal, officers received a call about an intoxicated driver near 108th and Harrison Streets about 2:48 a.m. on Nov. 10, 2008. Barcal said an off-duty Omaha police officer had been following Irish. La Vista police pulled Irish over near 90th and Harrison Streets and immediately thought that Irish was impaired. Authorities said his eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred and he told officers he had had a “couple of drinks.”
When officers told Irish to get out of his Ford Escape, he had difficulty keeping his balance and following directions. He tried to get back in the car during the field sobriety test, telling officers he had to make a phone call. Irish then refused a breath test and again tried to get back in his car and leave.
Officers tried to remove him from the car, and Irish resisted, scuffling with the officers. Barcal said it took several officers to restrain him.
Irish was taken to the Sarpy County Jail, where he refused another test.
“He wasn't very cooperative,” Barcal said.
Irish's attorney, James Martin Davis, said his client chose to plead guilty to the charge to “accept responsibility for what he did.”
“He understands he has a serious disease, which he is seriously trying to overcome,” Davis said. “He's trying to aggressively stop drinking.”
Davis said Irish has been sober for 12 months, has completed a 30-day inpatient treatment, a seven-month outpatient treatment, goes to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at least twice a week and has been volunteering by reading to the blind.
Irish is a former president of CBSHome Real Estate and has been involved in several development projects across the metro. More recently, he worked with Prudential Ambassador Real Estate. He also had a pharmacy license.
Drinking took all of that away, Davis said. In August 2003, Irish resigned from MECA the same day he reached an agreement with prosecutors in two drunken driving cases.
Since then, he was arrested for drinking and driving in April 2005 and again in June 2005.
Irish now earns about $9 an hour working for UPS, Davis said.
“Sometimes people have to hit rock bottom to move up,” Davis said. “He understands he has. He has lost everything because of drinking. Now, he's trying to amend his life.”
Contact the writer:
444-1336, leia.mendoza@owh.com
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