Carbon man sentenced to state prison term on resisting count

A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Monday morning after pleading guilty to a charge of resisting arrest.

Timothy Eugene Keiper, 27, Nesquehoning, entered his plea before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II, who then sentenced him to serve six to 12 months in a state correctional institution. It was noted that Keiper was on state parole at the time of his arrest and is facing a state parole proceeding. He is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges and on a detainer filed by the state parole board.

In exchange for his plea, charges of flight to avoid apprehension, possession of a prohibitive offensive weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia were dropped.

Keiper was arrested on June 17 when Lansford police responded to a report of a neighbor dispute with possible assault. Arriving on scene, officers were told two of the people involved, a male and female, had left the scene on foot. Police later located the two, one being Keiper.

While attempting to take Keiper into custody he attempted to flee, and police had to use force to take him into custody. He was found with a slap jack-baton style weapon, and drug paraphernalia.

Keiper told Nanovic he attempted to flee because he knew there was a warrant out for his arrest for the state parole violation.

He said he has drug issues and spent time in a state prison. He claimed he didn’t get any help for his addiction problem in the state system. “They never really helped me.”

Nanovic also ordered Keiper to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and pay court costs of about $1,000. He was given 57 days credit on the sentence.

Nanovic ordered the sentence to run consecutive to his present state term.