A Cass County man arrested by Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies last Fall for aggravated driving under the influence and then later attempted to escape from the Pike County Jail will spend more than a decade in prison.
52 year old Christopher A. Africh of Beardstown pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence, felony driving on a revoked license, possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams, and escape from a penal institution.
Africh was arrested by Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies on the evening of August 19, 2022 on the DUI, methamphetamine, and several traffic charges after a traffic stop. On August 23rd, after being arraigned in Pike County Circuit Court, Africh escaped from custody while being transferred from the courthouse in Pittsfield to the jail. Africh was apprehended a half hour later just a few blocks away hiding under a porch.
Africh was sentenced last Tuesday to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the DUI charge, 5 years each for the felony revoked license charge and the methamphetamine possession charge. The methamphetamine and revoked license charges will be served concurrently with the DUI sentence. Africh was sentenced to 5 years on the felony escape charge to run consecutively with the DUI sentence.
The DUI sentence’s length was due to Africh being previously convicted 6 times for driving under the influence.
Africh was also ordered to pay an undisclosed fine plus fees and court costs. He was given credit for 222 days served in the Pike County Jail.