WARREN — A Girard man pleaded guilty Wednesday to three charges of operating a vehicle while under the influence and a charge of aggravated possession of drugs in connection to a Nov. 7, 2020, traffic stop in Liberty Township.

Christopher T. Ezzo, 20, of 1101 Patricia Drive, Girard, will be sentenced by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge W. Wyatt McKay after he undergoes a background investigation conducted by the adult probation department.

McKay told Ezzo he could face a one- to three-year driver’s license suspension and / or up to $1,025 in fines. For each of the three OVI first-degree misdemeanor counts, he faces mandatory three-day jail terms. For the drug offense, he could get up to one year in prison.

Two drug possession charges were dismissed as part of the deal to get Ezzo to plead guilty.

The case involves Liberty police coming upon a 2015 gray Chevrolet Cruze that during the early morning hours of Nov. 7, 2020. The vehicle had stopped through three cycles of the traffic signal at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Churchill-Hubbard Road (state Routes 193 and 304), according to reports.

Prosecutors said when officers approached the vehicle, they saw that the Cruze was in drive gear and the driver had his foot on the brake but was unconscious.

According to reports, officers had a hard time waking the driver and pills were in plain view inside the vehicle. Officers had to place a cruiser in front of the Cruze to make sure it would not get away, prosecutors said.

The driver, identified as Ezzo, failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody. His blood was tested and contained amphetamines and THC, prosecutors said, while four tablets found inside the vehicle tested positive for methamphetamine.

Ezzo remains free on a personal bond.