Former Carbon man given prison term on drug counts

A former Carbon County resident was sentenced to a county prison term on Tuesday and drug counts and a weapons charge.

Joel Thomas Vermillion, 27, of Tamaqua, and formerly of Lansford, was sentenced to serve a total of one day less one year to one day less two years by Judge Steven R. Serfass. The prison term will be followed by one year of probation.

Vermillion previously pleaded to two counts of possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine and heroin — and one count of possession of a prohibitive offensive weapon. He was arrested as part of a drug task force operation and Jim Thorpe police on Oct. 12, 2017.

Serfass also ordered Vermillion, who is an inmate in the county prison on the charges, to render a total of 200 hours of community service when paroled, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation and pay court costs of about $1,000.

He was given credit for 166 days already served on the charges.