Carbon County court — guilty pleas

A Carbon County woman was sentenced to a county prison term on Thursday afternoon on a drug dealing charge.

She was one of five defendants who previously entered guilty pleas to criminal counts, to be sentenced by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II.

Palmerton incident

Candice Stoudt, 40, of Lansford, was sentenced to serve nine to one day less 24 months in prison on a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. The jail term will be followed by one year of probation.

She was arrested on June 5, 2018, in the 1100 block of Mauch Chunk Road by Palmerton police.

She told the court she was addicted to drugs and spent 21 days in an inpatient program for drug addiction.

Stoudt, currently an inmate in the Lehigh County prison on a pending probation violation petition, was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and supply a DNA sample.

She was given a total credit of 134 days, which includes jail time and inpatient time.

Other cases

Patrick McLaughlin, 52, of Nesquehoning, was placed in the state Intermediate Punishment Program on a charge of contraband, possession of a controlled substance, for two years. He was arrested on Feb. 3 by Nesquehoning police for having illegal substances at the county prison.

The state IPP includes about seven months in a state correctional institution followed by a period of time in an intensive inpatient drug program at the prison then followed by a period of time in a halfway house.

Nanovic also ordered him to supply a DNA sample and imposed zero tolerance on drug or alcohol use after he completes the program.

McLaughlin is currently an inmate in the state prison at Camp Hill, Cumberland County.

Robert Wayne Hess, 56, of Kunkletown, was placed in the state IPP program on a DUI charge for two years. Upon his release he will serve three years of state probation.

He pleaded to one count each of DUI and driving under suspension, DUI related.

He was arrested on Jan. 18, 2018, by state police at Lehighton along Forest Inn Road in Lower Towamensing Township after being involved in a crash. He refused a test.

Hess was recently placed in the IPP by Lehigh County court. Nanovic agreed to go along with that placement and ordered his sentence run concurrent with Lehigh.

Hess was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,500, make total restitution of $4,692.59 for damages incurred in the crash, and his license was suspended for a year.

On the driving under suspension DUI-related count, he was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail, concurrent, and pay a fine of $500.

Ronald Lee Strohl, 46, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve six to 18 months in prison on a DUI charge and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.

He was arrested on April 20, 2017, by Franklin Township police. He was originally charged with nine counts including DUI and endangering the welfare of children. Those charges were dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office.

On a charge of driving under suspension he was fined $200.

Strohl, currently an inmate in the county prison, is facing extradition to Florida for a parole violation matter.

He was given credit for 566 days already spent in prison on the charges and paroled.

Jean Marion Haydt, 51, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, one-year license suspension and follow any recommendation of her drug and alcohol evaluation on a DUI charge.

She was arrested on Sept. 25, 2015, by state police at Lehighton along First Street in Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. She was previously placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked for violating conditions.

She was given credit for seven days already spent in jail on the charge and paroled.

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