Carbon County court — DUI

A Carbon County man pleaded guilty in the county court on Thursday to two driving under the influence charges along with drug counts.

He was one of 12 defendants in pending DUI-related cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Six cases

Matthew G. Wentz, 38, of Parryville, entered pleas in six pending criminal cases. In addition to the two DUI charges he also pleaded to one count of retail theft and three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on one DUI count on March 23, 2017, along Bridge Street by Lehighton police. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. The second DUI arrest occurred on March 1, 2017, along Route 443 filed by Mahoning Township police. Again, a controlled substance was involved.

The retail theft occurred on April 6, 2017, at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township involving merchandise worth $25.35 being stolen.

The three drugs charges were the result of incidents on May 6 in Lehighton following a vehicle stop along Bankway. In that case a DUI count was dropped. The second drug arrest was on March 1, 2017, filed with the DUI charge in that incident. The third was March 13 filed by Mahoning Township police along Route 443 near the Pizza Hut restaurant.

Serfass deferred sentencing so Wentz can obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation for the DUI charges.

Other pleas

Jesse Franklin Snyder, 37, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to two counts of DUI in two incidents. The first arrest occurred on July 22, 2014, along Route 895 in East Penn Township and the second on Dec. 14, 2014, along Stony Ridge Road in Lower Towamensing Township, both filed by state police at Lehighton. In both cases, tests showed the presence of a controlled substance.

The cases took a long time making it through the criminal justice system. One case had 26 continuances filed, and the second 23. Sentencing was deferred so Snyder can get a D&A evaluation.

He is currently an inmate in the Lehigh County prison on other charges.

Aaron E. Bortz, 33, of Lehighton, was arrested on April 4 by Lehighton police along Ninth Street. A test revealed a 0.17 BAC.

Sentencing was deferred so Bortz can obtain a D&A evaluation.

Harry Gianguzi, 43, of Danielsville, was arrested on May 26 by Palmerton police along Third Street. He refused a test.

Sentencing was deferred so he can obtain a D&A evaluation. He is currently an inmate at the state correctional institution at Camp Hill, Cumberland County, serving a sentence.

Kyle Wentz, 34, of Lehighton, was arrested on April 14, 2017, by state police at Lehighton, along Route 209 in Lehighton. A test revealed a 0.16 BAC.

He was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, a fine of $300, one-year license suspension, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee, follow any recommendation of his D&A evaluation and render 25 hours of community service.

He will serve his prison term as follows: 6 p.m. Nov. 2, two days; 6 p.m. Nov. 9, three days.

Lawrence Jeremy Daiell, 61, of Albrightsville, was arrested on March 12, 2017, by state police at Lehighton along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed a 0.20 BAC.

Sentencing was deferred so Daiell can obtain a comprehensive D&A evaluation.

Ralph Graver, 54, of Albrightsville, was arrested on Jan. 26 by state police at Fern Ridge along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed a 0.17 BAC.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300, court costs of about $1,000, a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation, follow any recommendation of his D&A evaluation and render 25 hours of community service.

Christopher J. Lee, 34, of Jim Thorpe, was arrested on Sept. 22, 2017, along First Street by Lehighton police. A test revealed a 0.18 BAC.

Sentencing was deferred so Lee can obtain a D&A evaluation.

Matthew Charles Merkel, 49, of Palmerton, was arrested on July 4 along Forest Inn Road in Towamensing Township by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed a 0.08 BAC. He also pleaded to one count of endangering the welfare of a child, as he had his 9-year-old son in the vehicle at the time of the stop.

Sentencing was deferred.

Tara Hertzog, 34, of Nesquehoning, was arrested on May 19, 2017, by Lehighton police along Bridge Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

She also pleaded to one count of retail theft for an incident on Jan. 30, 2015, at the Turkey Hill store along Susquehanna Street filed by Jim Thorpe police.

Sentencing was deferred so Hertzog can obtain a comprehensive D&A evaluation for the DUI charge.

Melissa L. Primer, 44, of Lehighton, was arrested on March 23 by Lehighton police along Second Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. She also pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Sentencing was deferred so Primer can obtain a D&A evaluation.

Mark Louis Cassidy, 64, of Millstone Township, New Jersey, was arrested on Jan. 30, 2011, by state police at Pocono along the turnpike in Kidder Township. No test was given.

Serfass placed him on probation for six months and ordered he pay a fine of $300, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation and render 25 hours of community service.

On a summary offense of driving with a suspended license, he was fined $200 and costs.

Kane Gordon Shive, 23, of Pen Argyl, was arrested on April 21 by Lehighton police along First Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred so Shive can obtain a comprehensive D&A evaluation and also apply for the county’s Intermediate Punishment Program — house arrest.