HAMILTON, Ohio, March 3 (UPI) -- A judge in Butler County, Ohio, said a 45-year-old man will spend five years in prison after being convicted of driving under the influence for the 21st time.
The Cincinnati Enquirer said Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Sage handed down the maximum sentence available Wednesday to Kevin J. Ante, saying he had never encountered a drunken-driving record comparable to the defendant's.
Sage also pointed out that Ante was apparently unable to overcome his drinking problems despite spending four years in prison for a 2005 drunken driving conviction.
"I struggle with cases like this, because, in my mind, alcoholism is a disease," the judge said.
Sage told Ante he chose to impose the maximum prison sentence for Ante's most recent violation because of the risks associated with drunken driving, the Enquirer reported.
"You are a ticking time bomb waiting to kill somebody," Sage said.
