Secret Service agent on Obama bus tour sentenced for drunken driving

A Secret Service agent arrested for drunken driving in Iowa ahead of President Obama’s bus tour last August was sentenced Tuesday.

The agent, Daniel Valencia, who was off duty at the time, ran a red light and was pulled over in Decorah, Iowa, on Aug. 13, two days ahead of Obama’s visit. He refused a preliminary breath test and was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated, according to The Associated Press.

Valencia conceded to the charges — using an Alford plea, which does not admit guilt — and was sentenced by the Winneshiek County District Court to two days in jail or a weekend course in Iowa, along with a $1,250 fine and surcharge of $437, according to the local Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier.

Obama visited Decorah as part of his Midwestern bus tour last summer. The Secret Service has yet to comment on Valencia’s employment status.

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