Carbon County court — DUI
Six defendants in driving under the influence cases entered guilty pleas before Judge Joseph J. Matika.
Andrea Mazzella, 44, of Jim Thorpe, was sentenced to serve 30 days to six months in jail, a fine of $750 and one-year license suspension. He was also ordered to render 25 hours of community service and zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use. On two summary motor vehicle code violations he was fined a total of $225 and costs.
He was stopped on May 26 along Route 903, near Wild Creek Drive, in Penn Forest Township, by state police at Lehighton.
He is currently an inmate in the county prison on other matters.
Cynthia Louise Szacska, 56, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, a fine of $300, one-year license suspension, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use and render 25 hours of community service.
She was arrested on March 15, 2015, by Mahoning Township police. She refused a test.
She was given credit for three days already served and began serving the remaining two days immediately.
Jesse Phillip Costa-Hollingworth, 20, of White Haven, appeared to be sentenced on a DUI count but prior to that entered a guilty plea to another DUI charge. That offense occurred July 2, 2017, along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township filed by state police at Fern Ridge. He was previously placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program on that count but it was revoked from the program based on the new DUI charge. He was arrested on Aug. 5, 2017, along Packer Drive in Packer Township by state police at Hazleton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.
On both counts he was placed in the Intermediate Punishment Program — house arrest — for six months consecutive with the first 30 days on electronic monitoring. He was fined a total of $800 and license suspended for a total of two years. Also, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 50 hours of community service.
Nicholas John Yatsula, 36, of Hazle Township, was sentenced in two DUI cases to serve a total of 10 days to six months in jail, total fines of $1,000, two-year license suspensions, 50 hours of community service and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use.
He was arrested on Sept. 5, 2016, by Weatherly police along Main Street. A test revealed a 0.22 BAC. The second arrest occurred on June 23, 2017, by state police at Hazleton along Chestnut Street in Banks Township. He refused a test.
He was given credit for 290 days spent in jail on the charges and was paroled.
Thomas Charles Dittus, 21, of Pottsville, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000, one-year license suspension and render 25 hours of community service.
He was arrested on May 5, 2016, by Lansford police along Patterson Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.
He was given credit for one day spent in jail on the charge. He will begin serving the remaining two days on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m.
Robert Edward Rees, 51, of Pocono Lake, was sentenced to serve 30 days to six months in jail, a fine of $300, one-year license suspension, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 25 hours of community service.
He was arrested by Kidder Township police on Aug. 19, 2017.
He began the jail term immediately. He was granted work-release privileges.
Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.
