Arlington Heights man sentenced for 6th DUI
An Arlington Heights man with multiple DUI convictions under multiple aliases was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to his sixth DUI.
Dimitar Nikolov, who was arrested under the name Georgi Grigorov, was sentenced as a class X offender based on his background.
Cook County Judge Thomas Fecarotta also sentenced Nikolov to three years in prison for driving on a suspended or revoked license. Fecarotta ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
He awarded Nikolov credit for 195 days in custody and recommended him for the prison's alcohol abuse treatment program.
A Schiller Park police officer pulled Nikolov over early on Sept. 28 for driving a 2009 BMW without registration, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mike Crowe.
The officer noted Nikolov had bloodshot, glassy eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, Crowe said.
Nikolov failed the field sobriety tests and refused to take a breath test, Crowe added.
After additional investigation, authorities learned Nikolov had five prior convictions for drunken driving under four different names, and that his license had been revoked.
Nikolov, who is from Bulgaria, apologized to the court.
"I don't think this is one bit funny," said Fecarotta, who called Nikolov's behavior "ridiculous."
Fecarotta suggested that Nikolov's conduct indicated he cared little about this country, the safety of its citizens or its laws. "It is a privilege to be here," Fecarotta said
"You are free to drink yourself into oblivion," Fecarotta said, "that's your business.
"When you drive, it's our business."