Carbon County court — drug cases

A Carbon County man admitted to a drug charge on Monday in the county court and was sentenced to a county prison term.

He was one of four defendants in pending drug cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Dante Law, 28, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance, heroin. He got a break when the district attorney’s office agreed to drop a felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Law was arrested on Sept. 6, 2017, by agents of the state Attorney General’s office, Jim Thorpe police and the county drug task force, as part of an ongoing drug-selling investigation.

Law was arrested in the area of Park Trail and McCauley Drive in Albrightsville following a traffic stop.

Defense attorney Thomas P. Sundmaker claimed his client was not a “major player” in the drug trafficking incident.

Law told the court, “I realize I was wrong. I was having trouble with money.”

Serfass rejected a request for a probation sentence, stating the court had to “look at the gravity and nature of the crime and its effect on the public.”

Serfass sentenced Law to serve three to 12 months in prison and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 50 hours of community service when paroled.

He was given credit for eight days already served and will begin the prison term on Jan. 28 at 9 a.m.

Other pleas

Adam Joseph Schaeffer, 29, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded guilty in four pending cases. He pleaded to two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, heroin, and harassment.

He was arrested on the drug counts on Nov. 14, 2017, by Jim Thorpe police along Switchback Trail; July 13, 2018, by Lansford police along West Patterson Street; and Aug. 31, 2018, by Jim Thorpe police in the 500 block of Center Avenue. The harassment arrest occurred on Jan. 13, 2018, by Lansford police, who responded to a domestic incident at a residence along East Snyder Avenue, where he was accused of assaulting a female. A charge of simple assault was dropped in a plea bargain.

On the possession of a controlled substance charge, Serfass sentenced him to serve six to 12 months in prison. On the other drug counts he was placed on probation for a year on each, running concurrent to each other but consecutive to the first drug count. On the harassment charge he was fined $300.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render a total of 150 hours of community service when paroled.

Schaeffer, who is an inmate in the county prison, was given credit for 52 days already served.

Jason Rockie Bracero, 29, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance and driving under suspension.

He was arrested by Jim Thorpe police following a traffic stop on Sept. 18, 2018, in the area of Lehigh Avenue.

On the drug count, Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 100 hours of community service. On the suspension count he was fined $1,000.

Allan Daniel Kovacs, 30, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on Sept. 21, 2018, by Nesquehoning police in the 100 block of East Catawissa Street.

Serfass sentenced him to time-served (two days) to 12 months in prison and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 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.