Man faces felony charge after 26th citation for driving with revoked license

A man was arrested after multiple offenses of driving on a revoked license in Round Lake Beach. | Adobe Stock Photo

A man from north suburban Round Lake Beach is facing felony charges after receiving his 26th offense for driving on a revoked license.

Steven Knutson, 61, was issued a citation after a traffic stop that was upgraded to a felony after an investigation turned up repeat offenses, the Lake County state’s attorney’s office said.

Steven Knutson

He was stopped by police about 4 p.m. on March 11 in the 100 block of Rollins Road after he allegedly hit a parked car, prosecutors. He was issued a citation, but a follow-up investigation found his license had been revoked for life after an aggravated DUI charge in 2010 along with previous offenses.

In all, Knutson received 26 offenses for driving with a revoked license in Cook, Lake, Winnebago and Kane counties, and was convicted of 24 of them between 1982 and 2004, prosecutors said. His two most recent charges are pending.

“Driving is not a right, it’s a privilege,” State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said. “The fact that Mr. Knutson continued to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive is astonishing.”

He faces three to seven years in prison without eligibility for probation, the state’s attorney’s office said. Knutson is being held on $20,000 cash bail and is due in court Aug. 26.

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