Carbon County court

A Carbon County man admitted fleeing police and was sentenced to a county prison term.

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

Palmerton incident

Rogelio Ortiz-Valentin, 30, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count each of flight to avoid apprehension and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on Jan. 15 when Palmerton police went to a home on the 400 block of Lehigh Avenue to serve a warrant on Ortiz-Valentin for a probation violation. As police arrived, the defendant was observed exiting the home via a rear door and fleeing on foot. Police gave chase and eventually caught the defendant. While taking him into custody, police found drug paraphernalia on him.

Nanovic sentenced him to serve two to 12 months on both counts in prison, with the terms running concurrently, and ordered him to get a drug and alcohol evaluation. He was given credit for 41 days already spent in jail on the charges.

Ortiz-Valentin is an inmate in the county prison on a probation violation petition. A hearing on the petition is scheduled for a later date.

Other cases

Zachary Laubach, 19, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of simple assault.

He was arrested on Dec. 10, 2017, by Palmerton police for assaulting a juvenile male at the Carbon Mini Mart along Delaware Avenue.

Sentencing was deferred as there is a question concerning restitution due the victim.

Robert Werner, 36, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property.

He was arrested on Dec. 22, 2017, by Palmerton police for his involvement in taking a Chevrolet Aveo belonging to a borough resident without permission. Police were able to track the car because the victim’s cellphone was in the vehicle.

Sentencing was deferred as Werner, who is facing a prison term, is going to apply for placement in the state’s Intermediate Punishment program. Werner, currently an inmate in the county prison, will be transferred to a state correctional institution for evaluation for the state IP, which is a program that runs for two years with about seven months spent in prison, time in an intensive inpatient rehab program followed by time spent in a halfway house.

Taaji S. Baldwin, 31, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count each of false identification to law enforcement and a summary offense of public drunkenness.

He was arrested on Feb. 28 along Delaware Avenue following a traffic stop. He was a passenger in the vehicle and gave a false name to officers. When outside the vehicle, he caused problems because of his intoxication.

Nanovic placed him on probation for six months and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation. On the summary offense he was fined $300 and costs.

John Thomas Reppert, 28, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of an offensive weapon.

He was arrested following a traffic stop in the 400 block of Delaware Avenue by Palmerton police on Oct. 20, 2017. A set of brass knuckles was found in the vehicle.

Nanovic sentenced him to serve 10 days to one year in jail and get a mental health evaluation. He was given credit for two days already served and will begin serving the remaining eight days at 2 p.m. on April 27.

Dayton Nicholas Passehl, 29, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to a summary offense of harassment in exchange for a charge of simple assault being dropped in a plea bargain.

He was arrested on Nov. 8, 2017, by Franklin Township police for an incident along Route 2012 in which a female acquaintance was allegedly assaulted.

Nanovic sentenced him to time-served (13 days) to 90 days in jail.

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