Vadnais Heights council member admits to disorderly conduct

A member of the Vadnais Heights City Council has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the wake of an arrest for domestic assault.

Terry Nyblom was jailed last spring on charges of assault and interfering with a 911 call, having been arrested about 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning, reportedly after trying to stop a female acquaintance from summoning help.

His attorney, Beau McGraw, issued a statement at the time saying his client was "100 percent innocent of these charges."

Nevertheless, Nyblom pleaded guilty Nov. 9 in Ramsey County District Court in Maplewood to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Nyblom wrote in an e-mail that the prosecution's willingness to drop three other charges in exchange for the plea amounts to a vindication.

Said Nyblom: "I did not restrict her 911 call, I did not assault her, I did not threaten to hurt her nor did I ever make reference that the sheriff won't do anything to me because I'm a City Council member."

Prosecuting attorney Joseph Kelly declined to discuss the case until it concludes. "It's still an active case. The victim still has additional input to offer the sentencing judge [in January]. That's when the judge will consider all the information."

Kelly noted that there's a chance that the plea agreement could be withdrawn, "or there could be additional violations that would potentially jeopardize the plea agreement."

Nyblom was elected to the Vadnais Heights council in 2012, coming in first in a field of five candidates with 35 percent of the votes, and was re-elected in 2014 when he again came in first with 32 percent.

His biography on the city website describes him as a lifelong resident of the city and father of two. He attended White Bear Lake schools and has been employed as an auto technician for more than three decades.

David Peterson • 651-925-5039