Carbon County court
An Allentown man pleaded guilty in Carbon County court on Tuesday to a drug-dealing charge and was sentenced to a state prison term.
He was one of 10 defendants in pending drug-related cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.
Palmerton incident
Joshua Lee Kresge, 38, of Allentown, entered pleas in two pending cases to one count each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, resisting arrest and driving under the influence. The incident occurred on April 6, 2017, when police made a traffic stop along Third Street and found methamphetamine in the vehicle. The stop was made because at the time Kresge had three active arrest warrants.
He pleaded to one count of possession of red phosphorous with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance. He was arrested on Jan. 17, 2017, by state police at Lehighton. East Penn Township Fire Company responded to an apartment fire along West Lizard Creek Road in the township. Materials used in the making of methamphetamine were found at the scene. It was Kresge’s apartment.
Kresge is currently serving a state prison term of five to 10 years at the state correctional institution at Mahanoy, Schuylkill County, imposed by Lehigh County court.
Matika sentenced him on the possession with intent charge to serve 24 to 60 months in a state prison, concurrent with the Lehigh County term. On the resisting charge he was sentenced to serve one to 12 months and on the possession of phosphorous charge 12 to 24 months, all concurrent with each other and with the Lehigh term.
He was also ordered to render 100 hours of community service when paroled, supply a DNA sample and get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment.
Other pleas
James Vandell Hubbard, 29, of Wilkes-Barre, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, by Palmerton police in the 500 block of Delaware Avenue following a traffic stop. He was found with heroin.
He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.
George Edward Roberts, 30, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Aug. 24, 2018, by Lansford police at Patterson and Cortright streets. He was found with heroin and was involved in a sale to a confidential informant, the police report indicated.
He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.
Tyler Joseph Mieczkowski, 23, of West Nanticoke, Luzerne County, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on May 3 by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Bank Street in Bowmanstown.
He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 25 hours of community service.
Daniel Luis Diaz, 22, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Dec. 13, 2018, by state police at Hazleton along Hudson Drive in Packer Township following a traffic stop. He was a passenger in the vehicle. He was taken into custody and transported to the county prison in Nesquehoning. While being processed into the prison he was found in possession of illegal substances.
He was sentenced to serve 30 days to six months in prison and render 25 hours of community service. He was given credit for 147 days served in jail on the charge and paroled.
Malcom Kareem McCraw, 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on April 7 by state police at Fern Ridge following a traffic stop along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township.
He was placed on probation for 6 months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service.
Anthony Joseph Iannelli, 19, of Slatington, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on March 19 by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Route 248 at the Palmerton exit. He was found with methamphetamine.
He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.
Kellie C. Beam, 56, of Slatington, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. She was arrested on May 27 by state police at Lehighton along Pohopoco Drive in Franklin Township during a checkpoint operation.
She was fined $150.
Damian Tyler Frey, 21, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on May 24 by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along White Street in Bowmanstown.
He was fined $150.
Sherry Lin Bender, 56, of Danielsville, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. She was arrested on May 10 by state police at Lehighton along Covered Bridge Road in Lower Towamensing Township following a traffic stop.
She was fined $150.
Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.
