Carbon woman placed in special state program

A Carbon County woman who previously entered guilty pleas in three pending criminal cases, was placed in the state’s Intermediate Punishment Program last week.

Nicole Park, 38, of Palmerton, was placed in the program for 24 months by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic. Park, after entering the pleas, was transferred to the state correctional institution at Muncy, Lycoming County, for evaluation for the program. She has been approved.

The program runs for two years with the first seven months spent in prison followed by a period of time in an intensive inpatient rehabilitation program and then time spent in a halfway house.

Park pleaded to one count each of criminal conspiracy — possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

Nanovic sentenced her to the state program on the conspiracy count.

On the DUI charge she was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and a one-year license suspension. On the paraphernalia charge she was sentenced to serve two to 12 months in prison. She was given credit for 134 days on the DUI count and 150 days on the drug count and was paroled. She must also pay court costs of about $1,000.

The sentencing proceeding was done by video conference. Park is currently an inmate in the state prison at Muncy. She told Nanovic, “I’m just happy to be in this program.”

If she fails to successfully complete the program she would be brought back to Carbon for resentencing.