Kunkletown man given state prison term for theft, fleeing police

A Kunkletown man was sentenced to a state prison term on Tuesday afternoon in Carbon County court on theft, fleeing and eluding, and related offenses to which he previously pleaded guilty.

David J. Frantz, 36, was sentenced to serve two to four years in a state correctional institution on a charge of theft by receiving stolen property. On a fleeing and attempting to elude police count, he was sentenced to serve 18 to 48 months in a state prison. The terms run concurrently.

He was charged with the theft count on June 9, 2018, by state police for taking an all-terrain vehicle from a Towamensing Township residence.

He was arrested on the fleeing and eluding charge on June 3, 2018, by Lehighton police. He fled from a sobriety checkpoint along Route 443. As he fled, his vehicle struck two police officers who were participating in the checkpoint operation. He also pleaded to charges of escape, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of simple assault for that incident. On those charges, Nanovic imposed six- to 24-month terms, with all running concurrently.

He was also ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment and pay court costs of about $1,000.

Frantz applied for placement in the state’s Intermediate Punishment program, but it was determined he was not eligible because after he applied he was arrested on new charges in Monroe County.

He was sentenced last week in Monroe to serve three to six years in a state prison on a burglary charge followed by two years of probation. He is currently an inmate at the state correctional institution Phoenix, near Collegeville, Montgomery County.

Nanovic ruled his sentence would run concurrent with Monroe County.