Drunk car thief from Aurora sentenced to 6 years

An Aurora man caught driving a stolen vehicle in Geneva while drunk has been sentenced to six years in prison, officials announced Wednesday.

Bryce A. Bentley, 47, pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle and aggravated driving under the influence and was sentenced May 6 in a plea deal accepted by Kane County Associate Judge Patricia P. Golden.

Prosecutors said Bentley was driving west on Glen Eagle Drive in Geneva Feb. 13 when a random license check by police showed the 1995 Mercury Tracer he was driving had been reported stolen from Aurora earlier in the day.

After a brief chase, Bentley stopped on the 2000 block of Viking Drive, also in Geneva. His blood-alcohol content was 0.223 - nearly three times the legal threshold for driving, according to a news release from the state's attorney.

By statute, Bentley must serve at least three years of his sentence. Officials said Bentley's criminal history dates to 1999, with three prior convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle, two burglary convictions and one DUI.