Carbon County court — DUI

A total of 27 defendants in pending driving under the influence cases, and those who had already pleaded to DUI counts, appeared recently before Carbon County Judge Joseph J. Matika to plead guilty or be sentenced.

Marilyn Merz, 29, of Lake Harmony, was sentenced to serve 90 days to 60 months in prison, pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months and render 100 hours of community service. She was given credit for 95 days spent in inpatient rehabilitation programs and paroled.

She was arrested on April 6, 2018, by Mahoning Township police along Route 443. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Troy D. Frable, 45, of Palmerton, was sentenced in two cases. In the first case he was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. On a charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana he was fined $100. On the second DUI he was sentenced to serve 90 days to 60 months in prison, pay a fine of $1,500 and license suspended for 18 months. He must render a total of 125 hours of community service when paroled. The sentences run concurrent to each other and he was given credit for 82 days already serve. He will begin serving the remaining eight days on Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.

He was arrested on Aug. 26, 2018, by Lehighton police along Route 443 and on Dec. 10, 2018, by Franklin Township police along Bridge Street. In both cases tests revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Melissa M. Karley, 39, of Lansford, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, one-year license suspension and render 25 hours of community service. She will begin serving the sentence on Dec. 1 at 10:30 a.m.

She was arrested on March 9 by Lansford police along Kline Avenue. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Glenn Michael Sanford, 58, of Albrightsville, was arrested on Oct. 22, 2018, by state police at Fern Ridge along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed a 0.18 BAC.

Sentencing was deferred.

Ryan Kyle Kristiansen, 30, of Jim Thorpe, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000 and a one-year license suspension.

He was arrested on May 20, 2018, by state police at Lehighton along Maury Road in Penn Forest Township after being involved in a crash.

David E. Mefford, 52, of Albrightsville, was arrested on Nov. 21, 2018, by state police at Fern Ridge along Route 534 in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

He was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, one-year license suspension and render 25 hours of community service.

He will begin the jail term at 10 a.m. on Nov. 29.

Nicole Rose Savage, 30, of Coaldale, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for a year and render 25 hours of community service.

She was arrested on Sept. 27, 2018, by Lansford police along Abbott Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

She began the jail term immediately.

Brian Patrick Pinch, 48, of Albrightsville, was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail, pay a fine of $2,500 and license suspended for 18 months. He will serve seven days in jail followed by 57 months in the Intermediate Punishment Program (house arrest) with the first nine months on electronic monitoring. He must also render 100 hours of community service. He will begin the jail term at 10 a.m. on Dec. 1.

He was arrested on July 27, 2018, by Lehighton police along Route 443. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. It was noted he has a total of five DUI convictions.

Dorthea Price, 58, of Albrightsville, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. She also previously pleaded to a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. On that charge she was sentenced to serve six to 23 months in prison, concurrent with the DUI charge, and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, supply a DNA sample and render 75 hours of community service when paroled.

She is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges and was given credit for 127 days already served.

She was arrested on June 6, 2018, by state police at Fern Ridge along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township. She refused a test.

She was arrested on the drug charge by state police at Hazleton for an incident on Feb. 1, 2018. Police served a search warrant on a residence in Penn Forest Township where Price was found with various drugs.

Matthew Sean Helmer, 21, of Albrightsville, was sentenced to serve 48 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $750, one-year license suspension, make restitution for damages in a crash of $1,094.92 and render 25 hours of community service. He will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on Nov. 29.

He was arrested on April 30 by state police at Fern Ridge along Meckesville Road in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed a 0.12 BAC.

Suzanne Marie Allen, 32, of Hazleton, was arrested on Oct. 2, 2018, by Lansford police along Patterson Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred.

Tyler Steven Bailer, 26, of Lehighton, was arrested on Jan. 14 by state police at Lehighton along Route 209 in Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred.

Bruce Kunkel, 54, of Tamaqua, was placed in the IPP for six months with the first 15 days on electronic monitoring. He was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, render 25 hours of community service and license suspended for a year.

He was arrested on Aug. 26, 2018, by Lansford police along Patterson Street. He refused a test.

Quintessa Shadawn Smith, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for a year and render 25 hours of community service. He was given credit for five days already served and paroled.

He was arrested on June 24, 2014, by state police at Pocono along the turnpike in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

David J. Melicharek, 36, of Jim Thorpe, was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, pay a fine of $300, license suspended for a year and render 25 hours of community service. On a driving under suspension charge he was fined $200 and costs.

He was arrested on April 2 by state police at Lehighton along Route 209 in Towamensing Township. A test revealed a 0.27 BAC.

He will begin his jail term at 9 a.m. on Dec 6 and serve three days; then Dec. 13 at 9 a.m. and serve two days.

Erik Ryan Boehm, 40, of Lehighton, was arrested on Jan. 9 by Franklin Township police along Route 2007.

Sentencing was deferred.

Dominic Chickilly, 28, of Summit Hill, was arrested on Aug. 24, 2018, by Lansford police along Bertsch Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred.

Janine April Sarau, 28, of Jim Thorpe, was arrested on April 30, 2018, by state police at Lehighton along White Birch Lane in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred so she can apply for placement in the IPP.

Eric Sheeran, 54, of Kunkletown, was arrested on July 25, 2018, by state police at Lehighton along Little Gap Road, in Lower Towamensing Township. He refused a test.

Sentencing was deferred.

Matthew Michael Hartranft, 36, of Andreas, was sentenced to serve 90 days to 60 months in prison, pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months and render 100 hours of community service when paroled. On a driving under suspension - DUI related charge, he was sentenced to serve 45 to 90 days, but must serve the full 90 days. The term runs concurrent with the DUI charge.

George Herman, 55, of Frackville, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. On a driving under suspension count he was fined $200 and costs.

He was arrested on April 30 along Anthony Lane in Lower Towamensing Township by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Karina Hollstein, 52, of Weatherly, was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.

He was arrested on Feb. 13 by state police at Lehighton along Lovitt Road in Towamensing Township. A test revealed a 0.23 BAC.

Ryan Mokes, 31, of Weatherly, was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, pay a fine of $300, one-year license suspension and render 25 hours of community service. He was given credit for time served and paroled.

Paul J. Yurick III, 36, of Summit Hill, was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300.

He was arrested on May 14 by Summit Hill police along North Street. A test revealed a 0.27 BAC.

Matthew Richard Zern, 29, of Lehighton, was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300.

He was arrested July 13 by state police at Lehighton along Interchange Road in Weissport. A test revealed a 0.25 BAC.

Daniel Dagorn, 63, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve 15 days to six months in jail, pay a fine of $300 and one-year license suspension.

He was arrested on March 24 by Lehighton police along Route 443. A test revealed a 0.25 BAC.

Seabron Deas, 37, of Allentown, was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. On a driving under suspension-DUI related charge he was sentenced to serve 30 to 60 days in jail with credit for time served.

He was arrested on Dec. 30, 2018, by state police at the Pocono barracks along the turnpike in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed a 0.14 BAC.

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