Palmerton woman sentenced to prison in four criminal cases

A Palmerton woman, who previously entered guilty pleas in four pending criminal cases, was sentenced Thursday to a county prison term.

Melissa Cesanek, 35, was sentenced by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II to serve a total of six to 12 months in prison, followed by two years of probation.

Cesanek had pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one each of driving under the influence and theft.

She was charged with the first drug count on Oct. 1, 2018, by Lehighton police along Bridge Street. Methamphetamine was found. The second arrest occurred on Nov. 10, 2018, also by Lehighton police along North First Street. The DUI occurred on Jan. 4, 2018, along Second Street filed by Lehighton police. The DUI count involves a controlled substance. The theft count stems from a June 11, 2018, incident filed by state police at Fern Ridge in which she took a credit card and jewelry from a Penn Forest Township residence.

Cesanek is currently held in county prison.

She told the court she completed 35 days in an inpatient rehabilitation program, then relapsed. She told Nanovic she was trying to address her drug problem and trying to “get back on track.”

She was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, make restitution of $1,700 in the theft case, pay court costs and a supervision fee while on parole. She was given credit for 46 days against her sentence.