Steven Carl Drake II

A man with a lengthy criminal record who is known for leading law enforcement on numerous car chases was convicted Wednesday in Douglas County District Court of attempted aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police and criminal damage to property for three incidents that happened in 2022 and 2024.

The convictions followed a deal in which Steven Carl Drake II, 50, pleaded no contest to two felonies and one misdemeanor in exchange for the state dropping all the other charges in a 13-count complaint of nine felony charges, including methamphetamine possession, and four misdemeanors.

The parties are recommending that Drake, who is expected to have the worst possible criminal history score under state sentencing guidelines, be ordered to 59 months in prison and be required to pay restitution on all the counts, including those that were dismissed. No amount of restitution was specified Wednesday.

Drake’s attorney, Angela Keck, told Judge Sally Pokorny that she would argue for a departure from the sentencing guidelines when Drake is sentenced on May 6. Pokorny is not bound by the parties’ recommendations, but she is bound by the sentencing guidelines. In order to grant a departure from those guidelines, Pokorny would have to find substantial and compelling reasons.

The charges stem from three separate car chases in February 2022, January 2024 and August 2024.

The 2022 incident was an early-morning car chase on Feb. 3, when Drake fled from police through residential areas around downtown Lawrence. The chase ended when Drake reportedly crashed into multiple cars and a shed.

The Jan. 15, 2024, incident involved Drake fleeing from sheriff’s deputies and ultimately ramming into a patrol car.

In the Aug. 26, 2024, incident Drake fled from a deputy who was attempting to stop him in connection with a domestic battery incident. Drake reportedly caused a collision with the deputy’s vehicle, then jumped the median onto the levee trail in North Lawrence before driving through a yard and a field and destroying a fire hydrant.

Aside from the cases resolved by Wednesday’s plea deal, Drake has felony convictions in Douglas County for flee and elude, endangering a child and theft. In Jefferson County, he has felony convictions for forgery, obstruction and aggravated interference of parental custody, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records. In 2023 he was acquitted in Douglas County District Court of an attempted murder charge, as the Journal-World reported.

Drake is not to be confused with his son, Steven Austin Drake III, who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2022 for the 2017 shooting death of 26-year-old Bryce Holladay and was sentenced to more than eight years in prison. The younger Drake is now on parole and living in Missouri, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.

photo by: Kansas Department of Corrections

Steven Austin Drake III