Hanover Park man held on 10th DUI
A 49-year-old Hanover Park man is being held on $100,000 bond in DuPage County Jail for his 10th DUI arrest since 1991, Bartlett police said.
Richard Niemczyk, of the 7800 block of Jensen Blvd., faces six to 30 years in prison on several charges, including aggravated DUI and aggravated driving with a revoked license.
Niemczyk, who must post 10 percent of the bond to be released, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday before presiding DuPage Circuit Judge Blanche Hill Fawell.
The latest incident occurred around 8 p.m. Oct. 21, when Bartlett police responded to a home improvement store on the 900 block of Route 59 after an employee reported Niemczyk was acting belligerently when attempting to return merchandise.
Sgt. Geoffrey Pretkelis said police learned Niemczyk's license was revoked and informed him not to drive his white 1994 Ford Econoline out of the parking lot. But 15 minutes later, police saw Niemczyk get into the vehicle and drive south on Route 59.
They stopped him shortly after at Struckman Boulevard, where he failed field sobriety tests and recorded a .083 blood-alcohol level - just above the legal limit.
On Nov. 5, a DuPage County grand jury indicted Niemczyk for aggravated DUI. The charge was upgraded to a class X felony - the most serious class in Illinois - because authorities said it was his 10th DUI arrest since March 19, 1991.
Prosecutors said Niemczyk has at least five DUI convictions and six driving with a revoked license convictions.
Niemczyk's history of DUI briefly landed him in prison, according to Illinois Department of Corrections Spokeswoman January Smith. Niemczyk spent more than three months in prison in late 2000, which was followed by one year of parole, she said.
• Staff Writer Christy Gutowski contributed to this report.