OxfordPress.com

HAMILTON — A Hamilton man has been sentenced to eight years in prison and his driver's license has been revoked for life for his 19th drunk driving conviction.

"I can't imagine anything but a prison sentence is warranted in this case," said Butler County Common Judge Noah Powers said Tuesday, Feb. 20, upon handing down the sentence.

Stephen Wayne Wolf, 51, of the 5000 block of Ellison Avenue, pleaded guilty last week to operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol following his arrest July 13, 2007.

The arrest came after witnesses saw him crash into an oncoming vehicle in Fairfield Twp. and leave the scene. At the time of his arrest, Wolf's blood alcohol content was .203, more than twice the legal limit, and he was found to be driving on a suspended license, authorities said.

Officials with the Butler County Prosecutor's Office report that Wolf received his first drunk driving conviction in 1978.

Wolf's lawyer, Robert Qucsai, asked the judge to give a sentence of treatment — not jail time. Of Wolf's prior convictions, Qucsai said only two were in the past 15 years. However, Qucsai admitted Wolf had a span of three years in which he had nine drunk driving arrests.

Wolf apologized to the judge for his actions in July and asked for treatment.

However, Powers rejected Wolf's plea for treatment, saying Wolf has known a long time he had a problem and has not sought treatment.

"The court can't just look back and not notice that you have a history of this problem for 30 years," Powers said.

Powers sentenced Wolf to serve four years for the July offense and an additional four years for having more than five OVIs in 20 years. Wolf was also ordered to pay restitution for the vehicle in damaged in July.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2190 or jrinaldi@coxohio.com.