Carbon man admits to drug count, DUI with children in his vehicle

A Carbon County man admitted to drug counts and driving under the influence of a controlled substance with children in his vehicle on Thursday afternoon in the county court.

Chad M. Lutsko, 42, of Lehighton, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases to one count each of DUI of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of children, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was charged with the DUI and endangering counts on Sept. 12, 2017, when Lehighton police stopped his vehicle on Route 443 at East Penn Street. At the stop police found Lutsko under the influence of drugs and also found two children in child safety seats.

The two drug counts were the result of another traffic stop on Nov. 21, 2018, along Route 443 near the Fast Fill Exxon station. Heroin and fentanyl were found, according to the police report. In exchange for the plea, the district attorney’s office dropped a felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance charge.

Lutsko is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

Lutsko apologized for his actions and added, “I look forward to getting out to support my children.”

Serfass told the defendant, “I take these charges very seriously. You had young children in her car. It could have turned out a tragedy.”

On the endangering charge Serfass sentenced him to serve six to 23 months in the county prison; on the DUI count 72 hours to 60 months in prison; and on the two drug counts, one year probation on each running concurrent to each other. The jail terms also run concurrently.

He was ordered to render a total of 200 hours of community service when paroled, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole/probation.

He was given credit for 18 days already served on the charges.