from www.recordonline.com – A man who showed up Monday for his pretrial hearing drunk and toting beer pleaded guilty Friday to felony DWI in Sullivan County Court, telling a judge he was appalled by his court appearance.

Keith Gruber, 49, of Swan Lake, admitted he was driving drunk Dec. 27 in exchange for a sentence capped at a maximum four years in prison. On Monday, Gruber stumbled into court an hour and a half late for a pretrial hearing with cans of Busch beer in a duffle bag and an open container. He had been out on $30,000 bail.

“What were you thinking?” Judge Frank LaBuda said.

Gruber, who has been arrested 10 times on suspicion of DWI, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, replied he has an anxiety condition he treats with alcohol.

“I wasn’t thinking and I was extremely anxious, judge,” he said. “It was awful and I feel horrible about that.”

Deputies arrested Gruber after finding him trying to get a 2006 Toyota Corolla out of a snow bank on Briscoe Road in the Town of Liberty. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.18 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit. Gruber doesn’t have a license and had two prior felony convictions for DWI and served prison time.

At sentencing set for May 19, Gruber’s attorney will argue for 1 1/3 to three years, while the district attorney is arguing for four. If convicted at trial, Gruber faced up to seven years.

Gruber admitted he was drinking beer that morning and then got in his car to go buy wood, a claim the judge found dubious.

“Did you have enough beer at home?” LaBuda said.

Gruber replied he did.