Carbon County court – thefts

A Carbon County man pleaded guilty in the county court on Monday to four retail theft counts.

Jesus Maldonado Hernandez, 33, of Lehighton, appeared before Senior Judge Dudley N. Anderson, of Lycoming County, to enter his pleas and was immediately sentenced to a long probation period.

Maldonado Hernandez admitted to three thefts at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township, on April 28 and 29 and May 6, 2018. The fourth was at Redner’s Warehouse Market in Nesquehoning on June 28, 2018. Large quantities of baby formula were taken in the Walmart thefts.

Anderson placed him on probation for a total of 36 months, imposing probation periods of nine months on each count, running them all consecutive to each other. He was also ordered to make total restitution of $1,381.80, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation.

Theft counts

Joshua B. Willassen, 39, of Weissport, also pleaded to two counts of retail theft at the Walmart store on July 8 and Aug. 30, 2018.

Anderson placed him on probation for a year on each count, running consecutively, and ordered total restitution of $76.75. Willassen, who is an inmate in the county prison serving a four-month term for a probation violation, must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation.

Lyndo Elizabeth Kuntz, 20, of Allentown, and formerly of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of retail theft for an incident on March 30, 2018, at the Walmart store. She also pleaded to one count of driving under the influence of a controlled substance for an incident on Sept. 23, 3017, along Route 248 in Franklin Township filed by state police at Lehighton. She was previously placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked from it for violating conditions.

Sentencing was deferred as a presentence investigation report was ordered to be prepared by the adult probation office.