YOUNGSTOWN — Before he was sentenced to a lifetime driver’s license suspension and a 90-day prison sentence for his third felony OVI offense, Stephen L. Kness, 62, of Woodworth Road in New Springfield, offered a few words of explanation as to why he is in this predicament — as he has been other times in recent years.

“I got to a comfortable place in my life. I suppose I stumbled,” he told Judge Anthony Donofrio of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. “I am very remorseful. I do not want to come to court ever again in my life.”

He said since the day of his offense, he has not driven a car.

“I’ve found a new lifestyle of not having a vehicle,” he said. He also told the judge he has seen counselors in the past. Part of the requirements of Kness’ newest OVI offense is that he attend mandatory counseling.

He also was ordered to forfeit the vehicle he was driving when he was arrested for this OVI offense, his sixth overall. The car goes to the Boardman Police Department, the department that arrested him.

The full description of his offense is operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them — OVI, a third-degree felony, all of them in Mahoning County.

His most recent offense took place Dec. 19 at Southern Boulevard and Maple Drive in Boardman. He pleaded guilty to the single count July 18 before Donofrio, and the punishment he got for the offense was recommended jointly by the prosecution and defense.

Kness was handcuffed at the end of the hearing and taken to the county jail, where he will be housed until he can be transferred to prison. He gets credit for five days served in the county jail. He also must pay a $1,350 fine and could get up to two years of post-release control under the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Donofrio said.

Kness will not be able to ask for driving privileges for things such as doctor’s appointments or work for the first three years.

Kyle Hillis, county assistant prosecutor, said Boardman police pulled Kness over Dec. 19 after seeing his car “fishtailing.” There was no crash or injury involved with the incident.

Kness’ indictment states that his earlier felony OVI offenses were also in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. One was from 2020 and another one from 2021.

Kness has been to prison before as a result of his OVI offenses.

In February of 2022 Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony D’Apolito sentenced Kness to 60 days in prison and ordered him to complete mandatory drug and alcohol counseling for his second felony OVI offense. His driver’s license was suspended for seven years, and he was ordered to pay a $1,350 fine.

After his first felony OVI offense, Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentenced Kness in November 2020 to 97 days in the Mahoning County jail with credit for 97 days already served.

The judge also sentenced Kness to three years of community control supervised by the Adult Parole Authority, and Kness was ordered to complete the residential treatment program at the Community Corrections Association in Youngstown.

He was ordered to pay a $1,350 fine and he forfeited a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

When Kness violated the terms of his community control in 2022 for a probation violation, Krichbaum sentenced him to 12 months in prison with credit for 276 days served in the Mahoning County jail.

Kness also had OVI offenses in 2017 in Columbiana Municipal Court and Struthers Municipal Court and in 2020 in Youngstown Municipal Court, according to court documents.

Have an interesting story? Contact Ed Runyan by email at erunyan@vindy.com.