BASS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR FELONY DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED

CARROLLTON, Illinois — A White Hall man has been sentenced to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to felony Driving While License Suspended.

Greene County State’s Attorney Craig Grummel announced that 40-year-old Michael D. Bass was sentenced August 24, 2026, following his guilty plea in Greene County Circuit Court.

The case stemmed from a December 16, 2023 incident at the intersection of Main Street and Bridgeport Street in White Hall. According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, Bass was operating a motor vehicle while his driver’s license was suspended because of a statutory summary suspension entered in 2006.

Prosecutors said Bass had three prior convictions for driving while license suspended under that same statutory summary suspension. Those previous convictions elevated the latest offense to a Class 4 felony and made Bass eligible for an extended-term sentence.

“A suspended license is not a suggestion, and repeated violations will carry serious consequences,” Grummel said in announcing the sentence. He also thanked the White Hall Police Department for its work on the case and for its continued efforts to keep Greene County roads safe.

Special Prosecutor Michael Havera prosecuted the case. Circuit Judge Zachary Schmidt imposed the two-year prison sentence.