Carbon County court — drug charges

A Lehigh County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Monday after pleading guilty to a drug-dealing charge.

He was one of 11 defendants in pending drug-related cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Vehicle stop

Wes Brown, 48, of Catasauqua, currently an inmate in the state correctional institution at Mahanoy, pleaded to one count of criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Brown was arrested on Nov. 13, 2017, when Nesquehoning police responded to a report of erratic driver. Police found the vehicle parked alongside Route 209 and approached the two men inside. Brown was driving and his passenger was identified as Richard Beers III of Nesquehoning. In taking the two into custody, police found a large amount of drugs inside the car.

Brown told Matika he is serving a nine-month to five-year state prison term imposed in Northampton County on drug counts.

Matika sentenced him to serve 27 to 54 months in a state prison and also ordered he render 75 hours of community service when paroled, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and supply a DNA sample. He was given credit for one day already served. The term runs concurrent with Northampton County.

Beers was also charged for his part in the incident and pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced.

Other pleas

Kayla Marie Weaver, 23, of Effort, pleaded on one count of criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

She was arrested on Sept. 3, 2019, by Lehighton police following a traffic stop along Route 443. Methamphetamine was found in the car.

The police report indicated the stop was part of an ongoing investigation by the county drug task force and part of a surveillance operation.

Sentencing was deferred as Matika ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.

Thomas Samuel Davis IV, 48, of Hazleton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In exchange for the plea the district attorney’s office dropped a possession of a controlled substance charge.

He was arrested following a traffic stop along Hudsondale Street on April 2, 2019, by Weatherly police.

Sentencing was deferred.

Cory James Maconeghy, 31, of Scranton, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. The charge was added to the original complaint. In exchange for the plea, the DA’s office dropped two felony counts of contraband/controlled substance and contraband in a prison.

He was arrested on Sept. 27, 2017, by Nesquehoning police, who were called to the county prison for a report of an inmate with drugs. Suboxone was found on Maconeghy. He was brought to the prison by sheriff deputies on an active warrant.

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

Bryan Williams, 30, of Weatherly, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance.

He was arrested following a traffic stop on Jan. 7, 2018, by Weatherly police along Mill Street.

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

Khadeef Scott, 21, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on Aug. 8, 2016, by state police at Fern Ridge along I-80 in East Side Borough following a traffic stop. In a plea deal, charges of possession of a firearm not to be carried without a license and receiving stolen property were dropped.

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

Autumn Lee Parry, 31, of White Haven, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on May 15, 2019, by Weatherly police along East Main Street following a vehicle stop.

She was placed on probation for a year on each count, running concurrently, and ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and render 50 hours of community service.

Francis Michael Faragasso, 23, of Springfield, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. In a plea deal a felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped.

He was arrested following a traffic stop by state police at Fern Ridge along I-80 in East Side Borough on April 1, 2019.

Matika imposed a fine of $150.

Anthony J. Riggio, 36, of Saylorsburg, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on Aug. 23, 2019, by state police at Lehighton in the area of the Towamensing Elementary School, off Route 209, in Towamensing Township. Troopers responded to a suspicious person report and found Riggio on the school property.

Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service. The term runs concurrent with a six-month probation he is serving in Lehigh County.

Nicholas B. McGlothlin, 28, of Gouldsboro, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance, heroin.

He was arrested on Dec. 20, 2017, by Lansford police in the 500 block of West Bertsch Street.

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

Joel Antonio Veras, 20, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He was arrested on Oct. 23, 2019, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Route 248 in Bowmanstown.

He was fined $100.

Michael Joseph Campagna, 35, of Kresgeville, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He was arrested on May 27, 2019, by state police at Lehighton along Pohopoco Drive at Green Street in Franklin Township.

He was fined $100.

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