Carbon County court — drug cases

A Luzerne County woman was sentenced to a prison term on Monday after admitting bringing illegal substances to the county prison.

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

Arrest warrant

Jessalyn H. Peltz, 22, of Drums, pleaded to one count of contraband/controlled into a prison.

She was arrested on Aug. 24 when state police at Hazleton responded to a welfare check request along Broad Street in Beaver Meadows. On scene they found Peltz. A check revealed she had an active warrant for her arrest. Troopers took her to the county prison on the warrant. While being processed into the prison, corrections officers found illegal substances in her underwear.

Peltz is currently an inmate in the Luzerne County prison on other pending cases.

Because of her prior record, Matika sentenced her to serve nine to 23 months in the county prison and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, supply a DNA sample, and when released on parole render 75 hours of community service.

Several counts

James A. McClain, 49, of Summit Hill, entered guilty pleas in four pending cases to two counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

He was arrested on the DUI charge on Sept. 24, 2017, by Lehighton police along Route 443.

He was arrested on the drug counts as follows: Sept. 24, 2017, by Lansford police in the 300 block of East Snyder Avenue, charged with paraphernalia count; March 10, Lansford police at Patterson and Leisenring streets, vehicle stop, passenger with paraphernalia; March 22, by Lansford police in the 500 block of East Abbott Street, where officers served a search warrant, possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. In that case a felony count of possession with intent to deliver was dropped in a plea bargain.

Sentencing was deferred.

Other pleas

Justin Scott Geary, 25, of Bowmanstown, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. In a plea bargain a felony count of criminal solicitation, possession with intent to deliver, was dropped.

He was arrested on Sept. 2, 2017, by Nesquehoning police in the 100 block of West Catawissa Street. The drug involved was fentanyl. There are two co-defendants in the case.

Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use and render 50 hours of community service.

He is currently an inmate in the county prison and faces criminal charges in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Charmain A. Fuller, 30, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on July 14 by Lansford police in the area of West Ridge Street. She is currently an inmate in the county prison on other pending charges.

Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use and render 50 hours of community service when released from custody.

Christina Lynn Kieffer, 31, of Coaldale, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on Nov. 15 by Nesquehoning police. She is currently an inmate in the Schuylkill County prison on other charges.

Sentencing was deferred.

Vincent W. Newman, 34, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on July 12 by Lansford police along Patterson Street following a vehicle stop.

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

Joseph William Nortavage, 21, of Tamaqua, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on July 20 by Lansford police in the parking lot of the Penn Mart along Patterson Street.

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

Craig Silliman, 25, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on April 23 by Lansford police along Ridge Street following a traffic stop.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 25 hours of community service.

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