Probation, jail for Batavia consultant's 3rd DUI
An economic development consultant for Batavia who previously held similar positions in Geneva, St. Charles and Kane County recently pleaded guilty to downgraded charges of misdemeanor DUI and was sentenced to two years probation and three weekends in jail to be served by the end of summer.
Christopher Aiston, 56, of the 700 block of James Street, Geneva, faced anywhere from probation to seven years in prison on charges of felony aggravated DUI from a his third DUI arrest after a January 2014 arrest in Geneva.
Last week, according to Kane County court records, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges in exchange for prosecutors dismissing the felony charge.
Under the plea agreement, which was approved by Judge Thomas Stanfa, Aiston also must pay about $2,000 in fines, attend a victim impact panel on March 2, not drink alcohol for two years, and schedule by March 19 three consecutive weekends to be served at the Kane County jail by the end of summer, according to court records.
Aiston was arrested Jan, 22, 2014, after he rear-ended another vehicle on Street Street in Geneva. A grand jury indicted him on the felony charge last June.
Information about his two previous DUI arrests was not immediately available and was not contained in Kane court records.
In fall 2013, Batavia signed Aiston to an $88,000 yearly deal to serve as an independent contractor in the city's economic development department.
He also served as economic development director for the city of St. Charles from November 2009 to July 2013, and held similar positions for Geneva from October 1996 through September 2007 and for Kane County from September 2007 through November 2009.
Mayor Jeff Schielke said he wanted to keep Aiston on board as a consultant and noted he had made progress on a variety of development projects.
"I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing. I think it's in the best interests of the city right now to keep (Aiston) on task and his contract," Schielke said. "I regret that he got himself into all these problems. He has certainly been asked to pay a pretty strict penalty by the sentence given by the court."
J. Brick Van Der Snick, who served as Aiston's defense attorney, said the sentence also included alcohol treatment and Aiston has completed that.
If Aiston violates his probation, he could be resentenced to up to a year in jail.