Carbon County court

A Carbon County man admitted on Tuesday morning to issuing two bad checks and then a drug possession charge.

He was one of eight defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II.

Summit Hill incidents

James McClain III, 50, of Summit Hill, admitted issuing two checks to his landlord for the rent on his apartment. The checks were returned for insufficient funds. The incidents occurred on Nov. 30, 2017. The victim gave McClain a chance to make good on the checks but he never did. The drug count stems from an incident on Feb. 18 following a vehicle stop by Lansford police at Water and Springgarden streets. McClain was a passenger in the vehicle and was found with methamphetamine.

In April, McClain was sentenced to serve nine to 60 months on a driving under the influence and drug count.

On the drug charge, Nanovic sentenced him to serve three to 12 months in prison and on the two bad check charges, one year of probation on each, running concurrent to each other but consecutive to the drug charge. He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance imposed for drug or alcohol use and make total restitution of $1,256.50 for the checks.

The term runs concurrent with the DUI sentence he is now serving in the county prison.

Other pleas

Two brothers pleaded to persistent disorderly conduct charges for an incident on April 30.

Dylan Christian Ricany and Richard Alexander Ricany, both 30, of Lehighton, were arrested by Mahoning Township police who responded to the Nis Hollow Trailer Park for a report of gunshots. On scene, residents of the park told police the gunshots were coming from Lot 92, where the Ricanys resided. Both admitted being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incidents. In exchange for the plea the district attorney’s office dropped charges of recklessly endangering another person.

Nanovic placed both on probation for six months and ordered they both get drug and alcohol evaluation and each pay a fine of $500.

Michael Thomas Everett, 44, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of fraud involving a state inspection sticker.

He was arrested on July 8 by Nesquehoning police in the 700 block of East Catawissa Street following a traffic stop. He was originally stopped for a cracked windshield. At the stop, police found he had pasted a fraudulent inspection sticker on the vehicle.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation. The term runs concurrent with a sentence he is serving in Northampton County on unrelated criminal charges.

Marcos Antonio Perez, 28, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of false identification to law enforcement. He was arrested on Aug. 8 by sheriff deputies when then attempted to serve a bench warrant. At a residence along West Bertsch Street in Lansford, identified himself as another person. After the deputies checked a photo of Perez, they realized he was the person they wanted and later took him into custody.

Perez is currently an inmate in the county prison on a probation violation petition filed by the adult probation office.

Nanovic sentenced him to serve one to 12 months in prison and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation. The sentence runs consecutive to a DUI sentence he is serving. He was given credit for 30 days already served and paroled.

He won’t be released because of the pending probation violation petition.

Jacob James Kamant, 29, of Ringtown, Schuylkill County, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested following a traffic stop by Lansford police at Patterson and Cortright streets.

He is currently on probation in Schuylkill County until January 2020 on other charges.

Nanovic placed him on probation for six months, consecutive to Schuylkill County, and ordered her get a drug and alcohol evaluation and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use.

Wilbur L. Fountain Jr., 44, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of simple assault.

He was arrested on Sept. 28 by Palmerton police, who responded to a residence along Edgemont Avenue for a domestic incident. Fountain admitted assaulting his live-in girlfriend.

Sentencing was deferred.

Morgan N. Rehrig, 33, of Schwenksville, Montgomery County, pleaded to one count of harassment, as a summary offense, in exchange for a simple assault charge being dropped by the DA.

She was charged by Franklin Township police on June 1, 2017, for assaulting her mother in a domestic dispute.

Nanovic imposed a fine of $100 and restitution of $30.

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