Dean Klembus, 49, of Solon was sentenced to two years in jail Wednesday for his 8th drunken driving charge.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Jose A. Villanueva also took away his license for life, according to Action 19 News.
On May 6, 2012, Klembus was operating his vehicle on SR 43 when a Solon Police officer said he observed him weaving in and out of his lane. The officer initiated a traffic stop and after detecting the odor of alcohol emitting from the vehicle, Klembus was removed from the vehicle and was ordered to perform sobriety tests, according to information from the prosecutor's office.
After failing the sobriety tests, Klembus was placed under arrest, according to police. A review of Klembus' driving record revealed that he had seven prior convictions for OVI, including five within the past 20 years, according to a press release issued by the prosecutor's office.
On May 2, 2013, Klembus retracted his former plea of not guilty and entered a plea of no contest. The judge subsequently found Klembus guilty of two counts of Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol with prior felony OVI offense specifications and forfeiture specifications.
For the full Channel 19 story and a photo of Klembus, click here.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.