A White Hall man is headed to prison on traffic and drug charges after a plea this morning in Greene County Circuit Court.
John F. Kessinger, 53, of White Hall, pleaded guilty to Class 4 felony driving on a suspended/revoked license for the second time and Class 3 felony possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams in front of Greene County Circuit Judge Zachary Schmidt.
According to Greene County State’s Attorney Craig Grummel, the driving offense occurred on April 4, 2024, in White Hall when Kessinger was found operating a red 2001 Mazda despite his driver’s license having been suspended due to a Statutory Summary Suspension. Kessinger had already been convicted of driving while license suspended on four prior occasions.
The drug offense occurred on or about July 11, 2025, in Greene County, when Kessinger was found in knowing possession of less than five grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.
“Kessinger has repeatedly shown disregard for the law, both by continuing to drive illegally for decades and by engaging in dangerous drug activity,” State’s Attorney Grummel said. “This concurrent sentence ensures accountability while also protecting the safety of the community.”
Judge Schmidt sentenced Kessinger to 2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 6 months of mandatory supervised release and ordered payment of court costs. Kessinger was given credit for 42 days served in the Greene County Jail.