North Aurora man faces felony aggravated DUI charges

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – A North Aurora man was charged with two counts of felony aggravated drunken driving and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon – a spring-loaded knife – according to Kane County Sheriff’s reports and court records.

Sonedaophet Noy Thephavong, 43, of the 1400 block of Oakland Circle, North Aurora, also was charged Aug. 6 with misdemeanor driving under the influence, driving on a revoked license and disobeying a stop sign, according to court records.

Thephavong was released, but his bond requires him not to drive without a valid license and not take drugs or alcohol. He was also place on a SCRAM – Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring – an ankle bracelet that gathers data at the surface of the skin, including the presence of alcohol.

Deputies noticed Thephavong’s silver 2008 Mercedes C300 about 3 a.m. when it traveled north on White Oak Drive and passed through the stop sign at White Oak and Oak Street, in North Aurora, according to the report.

The Mercedes then disregarded a second stop sign at White Oak and waterford Drive before traveling east, according to the report.

Thephavong pulled into a driveway on Oakland Circle and told deputies he did not have a driver’s license, according to the report.

His license has been revoked since 2016. Thephavong said it had been revoked for a previous DUI, but he felt safe to drive that night, according to the report.

When deputies asked Thephavong how much he had to drink, he responded, “not too much,” according to the report.

Thephavong told deputies he was drinking with friends after work to celebrate his birthday, according to the report.

He refused to submit a breath sample or chemical testing, according to the report.

When deputies placed him under arrest, they searched him and found a spring-loaded knife in his pants pocket, according to the report, resulting in the charge of having a weapon that requires a valid FOID card.

The most serious charges Thephavong faces are the felon in possession of a weapon and aggravated DUI-third violation, both Class 2 felonies punishable by four to seven years in prison and fines up to $25,000 or up to 48 months of probation, if convicted.

Thephavong pleaded guilty to DUI in 2001, where he received an 18-month conditional discharge, a fine and 100 hours of community service, according to Kane County court records.

Thephavong pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2016 and was sentenced to seven days in jail, 12 months of conditional discharge and received alcohol treatment, court records show.

Thephavong’s attorney did not return a message seeking comment.

His next court date is Aug. 31.