Carbon County court – drug cases

A Lehigh County man was sentenced to a county prison term Monday morning after pleading guilty to a drug count.

He was one of nine defendants in drug-related cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Lansford incident

Kevin W. Whitmore, 36, of Allentown, was sentenced to serve three to 12 months in prison on a charge of possession of a controlled substance, heroin. He was arrested following a vehicle stop at the intersection of Patterson and Sharpe streets by Lansford police.

A more serious charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office because, according to his defense counsel, attorney Matthew J. Mottola, of the public defender’s office, the commonwealth agreed that the drugs found in the vehicle was more for personal use.

Whitmore is an inmate in the county prison on the charges and was given credit for 53 days already served. He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and when paroled render 50 hours of community service.

When his term is completed, Whitmore won’t be released from custody. He is facing drug charges in Berks County.

Other cases

Felicia A. Bower, 30, of Lansford, pleaded in two pending cases to one count each of possession of a controlled substance.

She was arrested on Dec. 10, 2018, when she appeared at the courthouse in Jim Thorpe to enter a guilty plea to a pending drug charge before Judge Joseph J. Matika. However, she appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. A search revealed heroin on her.

The second arrest occurred on Oct. 2, 2018, following a vehicle stop by Lansford police. She was a passenger in the vehicle and was found with heroin.

Serfass placed her on probation for a year on each count, running consecutively, and imposed zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render a total of 100 hours of community service.

Michael Thomas Lyons, 21, of Hazleton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Dec. 17, 2017, by Lehighton police in the 400 block of North First Street following a vehicle stop. Marijuana and a glass pipe to smoke it were found.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service. Serfass ruled the term runs consecutive to a probation sentence he is currently serving in Schuylkill County.

Jeffrey Butz, 40, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on July 17, 2017, by Jim Thorpe police in the area of the opera house along West Broadway. Police responded to the area for a suspicious vehicle and found Butz in a vehicle apparently under the influence. He was previously placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked from it for violating conditions.

Serfass placed him on probation for a year, consecutive to a parole term he is currently serving for driving under the influence charge. He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Rodney Owen Cummings, 18, of Morton, Delaware County, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Sept. 2, 2018, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Maury Road at Long Run Road in Penn Forest Township.

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

Angelina Marie Fisher, 25, of Pocono Summit, pleaded to one count of possession of marijuana. She was arrested on Nov. 12, 2018, by Nesquehoning police following a vehicle stop along West Catawissa Street. She was a passenger in the vehicle.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300. She is currently an inmate in the Schuylkill County prison.

Brandon Dylan Mangual, 23, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia with a charge of possession of a controlled substance dropped in a plea bargain. He was arrested on May 26, 2018, by state police at Fern Ridge following a vehicle stop along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township.

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

Joseph Lindermuth, 19, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded in two pending cases to two counts of possession of a controlled substance, heroin and methamphetamine. He was arrested on the heroin charge on Aug. 8, 2018, by Lansford police along West Kline Avenue and on the second count on Sept. 12, 2018, by Lehighton police along North Third Street with meth found following a vehicle stop.

Serfass placed him on probation for a year on each count, running consecutively, and ordered him to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render a total of 100 hours of community service.

Skyler H. Smalley, 21, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on Jan. 25 by Lansford police following a traffic stop along Bertsch Street.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300.

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