Man gets jail time for resisting police

A Monroe County man admitted to resisting police after they had responded to his parents' home to deal with his unruly brother. He was one of several defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Senior Judge Richard W. Webb.

Towamensing incident

Anthony M. Pellegrino, 31, of Kunkletown, pleaded guilty to one count each of resisting arrest and driving under suspension.

Pellegrino was arrested on Oct. 26, 2009, by state police at Lehighton after he came to his parents' home in Towamensing Township. Troopers were called to the scene by the the Pellegrino's because another son was intoxicated and causing problems.

Pellegrino was told to stay away from the home by troopers until the situation was under control but he did not heed their warnings. When he was told to stop he did not and was placed under arrest, at which time he resisted.

Upon running a check on him troopers learned he was under suspension when he drove to the scene.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Greek told Webb that troopers had a history of calls to the Pellegrino home.

Webb accepted the pleas and sentenced Pellegrino to serve two to 12 months in jail on the resisting charge. On the suspension count, DUI related, he was sentenced to serve 60 days in jail, a fine of $500 and one year license suspension. He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and attend anger management counseling. The jail terms run concurrently.

Pellegrino will begin the jail term at 10 a.m. on Feb. 24.

Other pleas

Other defendants who entered guilty pleas included:

Elmer D. Kennedy III, 40, of Nazareth, pleaded guilty to one count of DUI and two counts of accidents involving attended vehicle or property.

Kennedy was arrested by Palmerton police on April 16, 2009. Police received a report of a hit and run in the borough. In looking for the hit and run accident police spotted Kennedy's car and he sped away. He struck a second vehicle in the borough before being stopped at the SR248 on ramp in the borough. Given a test, the result was .17BAC.

Kennedy was recently sentenced in Northampton County court to a state prison term of 18 to 36 months on theft and related counts.

Webb sentenced him to serve three to six months on the DUI charge and to one year probation on each accidents count with all the terms running consecutive to each other and consecutive to the Northampton County term.

Webb also imposed a fine of $1,000 and one year license suspension on the DUI count and ordered a D&A evaluation. On the accidents counts he was ordered to make total restitution of $19,862.20 for damages to vehicles and property. Some of the money goes directly to victims and the rest to insurance companies.

Dawnellen Accardi-McKeegan, 37, and Anthony McKeegan, 43, both of 534 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a domestic dispute at their home that occurred on Aug. 22, 2009.

During the dispute Mrs. McKeegan stabbed her husband with a knife in the arm while he, intoxicated, had threatened harm to her.

She pleaded to one count of simple assault and he to one count of harassment, as a summary offense.

Webb placed Mrs. McKeegan on probation for a year and he was sentenced to time served (19 days) in jail.

Jeffrey Cope, 22, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of harassment, as a summary offense. He was arrested on March 9, 2009, by Palmerton police for a domestic incident involving Jamie Bauder as the victim and occurring along Delaware Ave.

Webb imposed a fine of $300.

Brian Eck, 31, of Tamaqua, pleaded to one count of public drunkenness. He was arrested on Sept. 6, 2009, at Franklin and Bridge sts., in Weissport, during a festival in the community.

Webb imposed a fine of $300.

Jose Antonio Torres, 20, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance-marijuana. He was arrested on Dec. 10, 2009, by Franklin Township police.

Webb placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a D&A evaluation.

Michele Lynn Welteroth, 41, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of DUI. She was arrested on Sept. 25, 2009, at a sobriety checkpoint along the Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Blvd., in Lehighton. Given a test, the result was .21BAC.

Webb placed her on probation for six months and imposed a fine of $300 and ordered a D&A evaluation.

Dawn Michelle White, 32, formerly of Jim Thorpe, now of Scranton, pleaded to one count each of theft and receiving stolen property. She was arrested by state police at Lehighton to passing a counterfeit $100 bill at the Alpine Bakery in Penn Forest Township.

Webb placed her on probation for a year on each count, running concurrently, and ordered restitution of $100, which has already been paid by the defendant.

Shannon Rae Arndt, 44, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of DUI. She was arrested on Aug. 20, 2009, by Palmerton police along Mauch Chunk Road where her vehicle struck a concrete block. Given a test, the result was .25BAC.

Webb deferred sentencing.

Jennifer F. Kocela, 43, formerly of Lansford, now of Scranton, pleaded to one count of retail theft. She was arrested by Nesquehoning police on Sept. 19, 2009, for an incident at Redners Warehouse Market. She was charged with taking merchandise valued at $5.99, which was recovered.

She was previously placed in the county's Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) program for first time offenders but was revoked for violating conditions.

Webb placed her on probation for 90 days.

Dillon S. Buskirk, 20, of Slatington, pleaded to one count of bad checks. He was arrested by Lehighton police for issuing a bad check to Napa Auto Parts store.

Webb sentenced him to serve 30 days in jail but since he has already served 50 days he was paroled. He was also ordered to make restitution of $369.19.

Ebony Princess Norman, 33, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of criminal attempt-theft. She admitted attempting to open a credit card account in the name of Stacey Beblavy without her permission or knowledge.

Webb placed her on probation for a year.

Jennifer Catherin Steigerwalt, 32, of Lehighton, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases. She pleaded to two counts of criminal attempt-theft. She was charged by Franklin Township police on Sept. 18, 2009, for her part in taking a TIMES NEWS vending machine and dumping along a township road with the intent to return later and break it open and take the coins inside. She was arrested by Lehighton police on Aug. 7, 2009, for taking a bank slip belonging to her mother and attempting to cash it at a bank.

Webb deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation which also will include she submit to both a mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations.

Lester L. Davis, 32, of Easton, pleaded to one count of accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle or property. He was arrested on Oct. 23, 2009, by Palmerton police for an incident at Second and Delaware after being involved in a hit and run.

Webb placed him on probation for six months.

Derek A. Vogel, 32, of Coaldale, pleaded in two pending criminal cases. He admitted issuing bad checks to the Jim Thorpe Market on Nov. 2, 2004, and Mallard Market, Lehighton, on Sept. 13, 2004.

Webb placed him on probation for a year on each count, running concurrently. He was ordered to make restitution of $242.01 to Mallard Market. Restitution of $335.76 to Jim Thorpe Market has already been paid.

All defendants must also pay all court costs and a $50 per month supervision fee.