Carbon County court — DUI

Four defendants who previously pleaded to driving under the influence charges were sentenced on Friday in Carbon County court, while a Lehighton woman appeared on a drug charge.

Judge Joseph J. Matika imposed sentences on the following:

Two DUIs

Carlos A. Villanueva, 36, of Lehighton, was sentenced on two DUI counts in separate incidents.

He was arrested on the first count on April 25, 2015, by state police at Lehighton along Route 209 in Mahoning Township. A test revealed a 0.30 BAC. The second arrest occurred on Nov. 3, 2017, along Main Lane filed by Lehighton police. A test revealed a 0.28 BAC. In both cases he also pleaded to one count of driving under suspension — DUI related.

In the first case, on the DUI charge, he was sentenced to serve five days to six months, pay a fine of $300, and one-year license suspension; on the suspension charge he was sentenced to serve 45 to 90 days in jail, but must serve the full 90 days, plus another fine of $1,000.

On the second DUI he was sentenced to serve 10 days to 24 months, a fine of $500 and another one-year license suspension; on the suspension count he was sentenced to serve 45 to 90 days in jail, but must serve the full 90 days, plus another $1,000 fine.

All the jail terms run concurrent with each other. He was also ordered to render a total of 100 hours of community service when paroled and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use.

He will begin the jail term at 4 p.m. on July 27 and was granted work release privileges.

Other cases

John James Kusko, 58, of Lansford, was sentenced to serve 48 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $500, one-year license suspension and make total restitution for damages in a crash of $1,054.93.

He began the jail term at 3 p.m. Friday.

He was arrested on Aug. 22, 2017, in the 400 block of West Patterson Street by Lansford police. A test revealed a 0.15 BAC.

Robert W. Dougherty, 47, of Lansford, was sentenced to serve 30 days in the county prison followed by 59 months in the county’s Intermediate Punishment Program — house arrest — with the first 60 days on electronic monitoring, pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for a year, render 100 hours of community service when paroled and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use.

On a summary offense of criminal mischief he was placed on probation for a year and ordered to make restitution of $884.57. The probation term is concurrent with the DUI charge.

He will begin the jail term at noon on July 23.

He was arrested by Lansford police on July 2, 2017.

Harold Al Sanchez Munoz, 29, of West Hazleton, was placed in the IPP for two years with the first 30 days on electronic monitoring. He was fined $500, his license was suspended for a year, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 100 hours of community service.

The term runs concurrent with a IPP in Luzerne County which Munoz is serving. He also has another DUI pending.

He was arrested on June 14, 2015, by state police at Lehighton. No test results were available.

Drug case

Wendy Colleen Kneller, 43, of Lehighton, was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

She previously pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on March 31, 2016, at the intersection of routes 209 and 93 by Nesquehoning police. Methamphetamine was found in the vehicle. A possession of a controlled substance count was dropped in a plea bargain.

Summary offenses

Thomas A. Swartz, 38, of Elysburg, Northumberland County, was sentenced to pay a total of $50 in fines and costs on two summary offenses of illegal U-turn and careless driving. He was arrested by state police on Sept. 1, 2016. A charge of DUI was dropped in the case.

Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, a $50 per month supervision fee and those charged with DUI must follow any recommendation of their drug and alcohol evaluation.