For 17th DUI, Leavenworth County man is sentenced to one year in jail

A 59-year-old Leavenworth County man has been sentenced to one year in jail for his 17th drunken driving case.

Stephen Gast Jr. pleaded guilty after his arrest on June 10, when law enforcement officers were called about a drunken driver. They found Gast in his vehicle, swerving in the road, according to Todd Thompson, the Leavenworth County district attorney.

The conviction was Gast’s 17th DUI since 1980, with most of the offenses occurring in Leavenworth County, where Gast has been a lifelong resident.

Gast was sentenced to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine, the maximum punishments in Kansas for a person after four or more DUI convictions.

The sentence allows Gast to leave jail on work release after 48 hours in custody if he can verify employment.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 4:37 PM.