Carbon County court – drug cases

A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term on drug charges on Friday in the county court after entering a guilty plea.

He was one of eight defendants in drug-related cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Warrant service

Matthew Wentz, 39, of Parryville, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Nov. 27, 2018, while state police at Lehighton were serving a felony warrant on him at his home in Parryville.

Wentz was also sentenced in two other cases in which he previously entered guilty pleas to counts of theft and violating Megan’s Law as a sexual offender by failing to register as required.

On the failure to register charge, Matika sentenced Wentz to serve 27 to 54 months in a state correctional institution; on the theft count, the same sentence; and on the drug count, nine to 18 months. The failure to register and theft count terms run concurrent to each other but the drug count runs consecutively for a total of 36 to 72 months.

He was also ordered to supply a DNA sample, make restitution in the theft case of $4,748.22, have no contact with the victim in that case and given credit for a total of 147 days already served.

Vehicle stop

A Montgomery County man pleaded a drug dealing charge and was immediately sentenced to a state prison term.

Darnell Henderson, 36, of Pottstown, pleaded to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance — crack cocaine.

He was arrested on Aug. 29, 2018, by state police at Fern Ridge following a traffic stop along Interstate 80 in East Side Borough. According to the arrest report, 36 grams of cocaine were found in the vehicle. In a plea deal with the district attorney’s office, the amount of cocaine found was decreased to lower than the minimum sentencing range.

Matika sentenced him to serve 24 to 48 months in a state correctional institution. However, the term runs concurrent with a state prison term of three to six years Henderson is now serving imposed in another county.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample and when paroled render 100 hours of community service.

Other pleas

Hailie R. McGowan, 25, of Lehighton, entered pleas in four pending cases. She pleaded to two counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on Aug. 18, 2018, in the 400 block of Lehigh Avenue, on Sept. 13, 2018, again along Lehigh Avenue, Sept. 29, 2018, at a residence along Lehigh Avenue, and Oct. 5, 2018, in the 300 block of Lehigh Avenue, all by Palmerton police. She is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

Matika sentenced her to a total of 30 days to one year on the two possession of controlled substances counts, terms running concurrently, and credit for 95 days already served and paroled. On the paraphernalia counts she was placed on probation for a year on each count, running concurrent to each other but consecutive to the prison terms. She was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render a total 100 hours of community service.

Stephanie P. Ransel, 28, of Palmerton, pleaded to one county of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on Jan. 6 by Palmerton police along Delaware Avenue.

She was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Raushaun Omar Fleming, 45, of Yonkers, New York, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on Oct. 12, 2016, following a vehicle stop along I-80 by state police at Fern Ridge in East Side Borough. In exchange for the plea, the DA’s office dropped two felony drug charges.

Matika imposed a fine of $150 and costs.

Mark Loche, 37, of Rehrersburg, Berks County, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Jan. 25, 2018, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 25 hours of community service. He is currently an inmate in the county prison.

Jonathan Tyler Murray, 20, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Oct. 12, 2018, by Summit Hill police along West Holland Street. A charge of possession of marijuana was dropped.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service.

Shane Zacharias Smith, 37, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Jan. 11, 2018, by Lansford police at Abbott and Coal streets following a traffic stop. He was a passenger in the vehicle.

Matika placed him on probation for six months and ordered he render 25 hours of community service.

Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.