Inmate who claimed he was sexually assaulted admits to making false report

An inmate at the Carbon County prison admitted in the county court on Monday morning to making a false report that he had been sexually assaulted by another inmate at the prison.

Trevor Wentz, 36, of Palmerton, pleaded guilty before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II to one count of unsworn falsification to authorities in exchange for two counts of false reports being dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office.

On Jan. 19, 2019, Nesquehoning police were called to the prison for an assault report. Wentz told investigating officers that he had been sexually assaulted by his cell mate at the jail.

An investigation, using DNA, resulted in police concluding the report as false and that no assault occurred.

When confronted by police with their findings, Wentz declined to talk with them.

Court-appointed defense attorney Nicholas Quinn told the court, “This was a prank gone awry.”

Wentz told Nanovic, “I made a mistake,” admitting it was a prank.

Wentz is currently in the prison serving a term on another charge with runs to June 26. Nanovic sentenced him to serve three to one day less 24 months in prison, concurrent with the sentence he is now serving, ordered he pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.