TRAVERSE CITY, MI - A Leelanau County sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty to drunken driving and was sentenced to six months probation.

Mark Elsworth Stevens, 45, entered the plea Friday at his arraignment.

"I let down myself, my community and my department," Stevens said during the court proceeding.

Stevens, the county's "Deputy of the Year" in 2002, was arrested July 13 after a day of drinking and celebrating his birthday. A Michigan State Police trooper stopped Stevens on Cass Road in Traverse City after spotting the off-duty deputy speeding in his personal vehicle and crossing lanes without signaling.

A blood-alcohol test administered at the Grand Traverse County Jail following Stevens' arrest resulted in a reading of .22, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08, police records show.

The Leelanau County Sheriff's Office suspended Stevens with pay while it conducted an internal investigation. He was placed on unpaid suspension for 10 working days after a disciplinary hearing July 19.