Carbon County court

A Palmerton man was sentenced to a county prison term Monday morning after pleaded guilty to an assault count.

He was one of six defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Lehighton incident

John Reppert, 29, pleaded to one count of simple assault and was sentenced to serve one to 23 months in the county prison.

Reppert was arrested by Lehighton police on May 17, 2017, when police responded to a residence for a domestic dispute. On scene the female victim told officers that she and Reppert got into a verbal argument but it turned physical when he assaulted her.

Reppert admitted to mental health and drug issues.

In addition to the jail term, Serfass ordered Reppert to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, no contact with the victim and render 100 hours of community service.

He was given credit for one day spent in jail on the charge. He will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on April 15.

Other pleas

Chad Allen Lloyd, 40, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of simple assault with a charge of terroristic threats dropped in a plea bargain.

He was arrested by Lehighton police on Dec. 1, 2018, after officers responded to a residence for a domestic dispute. It was noted the victim agreed to the plea deal.

Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months and ordered he attend and successfully complete an anger management course and render 100 hours of community service.

Jason Michael Mika, 38, of Weissport, pleaded in two pending cases to one count each of retail theft and disorderly conduct.

He was arrested on the theft count at the Walmart store by Mahoning Township police on Dec. 26, 2016. Electronic items valued at $699 were taken. The conduct count stems from an Oct. 21, 2018, arrest by state police at Lehighton following a vehicle stop in which Mika was a passenger. In a plea bargain a charge of prohibitive offense weapon was dropped. A set of brass knuckles was found in the vehicle.

Sentencing was deferred to April 30 to coincide with other cases in which he is scheduled to be sentenced.

Joshua Schlier, 23, of Bowmanstown, pleaded to one count of false identification to law enforcement.

He was arrested on April 21, 2018, by Lehighton police following a traffic stop along Ridge Alley. He was a passenger in the vehicle and gave a false name to officers.

Serfass sentenced him to time-served (18 days) to one year in jail and ordered he render 50 hours of community service.

Schlier is currently an inmate in the Lackawanna County prison serving a term on a parole violation.

Anne M. Zurn, 24, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of disorderly conduct (added to the original complaint), as a summary offense, with the DA dropping counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

She was arrested by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop on March 15, 2018, along Route 209 in Lehighton.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300.

Michele Pene Suabedissen, 59, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of harassment, a summary offense, with charges of terroristic threats and simple assault dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office. She was arrested on Dec. 4, 2016, by state police at Fern Ridge who responded to a domestic incident at her residence in Penn Forest Township. She was found to be highly intoxicated at the time. She previously was placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked from it for violating conditions.

Serfass sentenced her to time-served — 62 days spent in prison on the charges.

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