Former Carbon man given prison term in three criminal cases

A former Carbon County man was sentenced to a prison term in three pending cases.

Joshua Yorgey, 37, of Wilkes-Barre, and formerly of Lehighton, was sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika to serve a total of nine to 23 months in prison on a charge of criminal use of a communication facility and one year probation on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. On a retail theft count, a summary offense, he was fined $100 and ordered to make restitution of $39.97 to the Walmart store in Mahoning Township. He previously pleaded to the charges. The probation terms run concurrent with the prison term.

Yorgey entered the Salvation Army inpatient program twice but failed to complete them. He then entered another program and was eventually admitted back into the Salvation Army program in Wilkes-Barre and successfully completed it.

Yorgey is living in a home run by the Salvation Army as he continues his rehabilitation and is employed.

In addition to the prison term, Matika ordered Yorgey to render 75 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.

He was given credit for a total of 327 days spent in rehab and prison.

He was arrested by Mahoning Township police following a surveillance operation conducted by police at a residence along Orchard Road on June 28, 2018. In exchange for the plea, charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, two counts of possession and one of possession of paraphernalia were dropped. The charge he pleaded to was added to the original criminal complaint.