9 years prison after man's 7th DUI arrest in McHenry in 2018

A 41-year-old Joliet man has been sentenced to nine years in prison after admitting to his seventh DUI arrest, the most recent in McHenry County in February 2018.

William R. Moritz Jr. pleaded guilty this week in McHenry County court to felony aggravated DUI in exchange for prosecutors dismissing other, less severe charges stemming from a Feb. 24, 2018 traffic stop by county sheriff's deputies after Moritz's vehicle was seen weaving and swerving near Route 31 and Kane Avenue in McHenry. According to prosecutors, a deputy stopped Moritz on Loyola Drive in McHenry where Moritz failed field sobriety tests and an open beer can was found in his vehicle.

Prosecutors obtained a search warrant to draw Moritz's blood and his blood-alcohol concentration, or BAC, was more than twice the legal threshold of .08.

Authorities charged Moritz with felony aggravated DUI after learning about his six previous DUI arrests, prosecutors said.

McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt accepted the guilty plea and sentence, which also requires Moritz to pay some $8,155 in court fines and fees, court records show.

Moritz faced a top punishment of 30 years in prison on the DUI charge and can have his prison term halved for good behavior.