Carbon County court — guilty pleas

A Carbon County man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the county court to a corruption of a minor charge.

He was one of six defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Mahoning incident

Paul Gangloff, 41, of Lehighton, admitted he let his then 14-year-old daughter drive his car in the parking lot of the Walmart store. The daughter drove the vehicle into a parked car. Video surveillance showed Gangloff removing the daughter from the driver’s seat.

In a plea bargain a charge of endangering the welfare of a child and four summary offenses were dropped.

Gangloff was brought to the courthouse from the county prison where he has been an inmate for the past 12 days on a bench warrant, not his first in the case, for failure to appear.

Gangloff has failed to appear for prior court proceedings, including a guilty plea date.

Gangloff claimed after his daughter drove their vehicle into a parked car he went into the Walmart store in an attempt to find the owner of the struck car. However, the victim whose car was struck said that was not true, that Gangloff never attempted to find her and report the incident to Mahoning Township police.

She told the court she had been waiting for payment of damages to her car since the incident occurred on Dec. 17, 2018, and said Gangloff had missed other court appearances and always came up with an excuse.

Serfass placed Gangloff on probation for 24 months and ordered he supply a DNA sample, render a total of 100 hours of community service and make restitution of $3,473.49 to the victim. Serfass ruled the restitution must be made in full within four months or it would be a violation of his probation.

Other pleas

Timothy Patrick Schaub, 40, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of criminal conspiracy-retail theft.

He was arrested on April 26, 2019, by Mahoning Township police at the Walmart store. Schaub went through the self-service area and failed to scan all the items he was buying. There is a co-defendant in the case.

Schaub is currently serving a four-month jail term for driving under the influence and is in the work-release program.

Serfass sentenced him to serve three to 23 months in prison, supply a DNA sample and render a total of 100 hours of community service when paroled. The term will run concurrent with the DUI sentence.

Candice Bracero, 32, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count each of hindering apprehension and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on March 19, 2019, by state police at Fern Ridge at a residence along East Mauch Road in Penn Forest Township. Troopers went to the residence to serve a warrant on another person. When asked by troopers if the person, Ryan Wurst, was present in the home, Bracero said no. However, Wurst was found hiding in the home.

Serfass placed her on probation for 18 months on the hindering charge and six months on the drug count, running concurrently. She was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render a total of 100 hours of community service.

George Edward Roberts IV, 31, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of a prohibitive offensive weapon.

He was arrested by Jim Thorpe police on July 21, 2017, at his residence for having a sawed-off shotgun in his possession.

He was placed on probation for 24 months and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, render 100 hours of community service and supply a DNA sample.

Darrin Edward Conti, 46, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of statement under penalty.

On Aug. 24, 2018, Conti filled out an application at the Eastern Arms & Outfitters in Penn Forest Township to purchase a firearm. He incorrectly answered the question concerning a past criminal conviction.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service.

Brian Moscoso, 20, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana, driving under suspension and exceeding the speed limit.

He was arrested on Jan. 9, 2019, along Mauch Chunk Street by Mahoning Township police.

On the drug count he was fined $300; on the suspension charge $500 fine; and on the speeding charge $77 fine.

Larry Allen Kamnik, 61, of Levittown, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on Sept. 15, 2018, by state police at Lehighton along Route 903 in Jim Thorpe. A test revealed a 0.09 BAC.

A first offense, he was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.

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