Carbon County court — DUI
A Carbon County man was sentenced to a county prison term last Friday on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of driving under the influence.
Michael Robert Searfoss, 30, of Albrightsville, was sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika to serve seven to one day less 24 months in prison on the welfare counts and 90 days to 60 months on the DUI charge. The jail terms run concurrently.
Searfoss was arrested on Oct, 8, 2015, by Kidder Township police along Route 534. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. Two children were found in the vehicle at the stop.
Searfoss is currently in the county prison serving another prison term.
He was also ordered to render 100 hours of community service when paroled, get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, attend and complete parenting classes, pay a fine of $1,500 on the DUI count and license suspended for 18 months, and when paroled must enter a short-term inpatient rehabilitation program for drug abuse.
On a driving under suspension, DUI-related charge, he was sentenced to serve 45 to 90 days (must serve the full 90 days) and pay a fine of $1,000. The jail term is concurrent with the others.
He was given credit for 46 days already served.
Other cases
John M. Balogach Jr., 54, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail on a DUI charge he previously pleaded to. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, his license was suspended for one year and he must render 25 hours of community service.
He was arrested on Nov. 29, 2017, by Mahoning Township police. A test revealed a 0.22 BAC.
Norman H. Christman Jr., 47, of Lehighton, was placed on probation for six months on a DUI charge he previously pleaded to. He was ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.
A first offense, he was arrested on Dec. 17, 2017, by Mahoning Township police along Mahoning Drive East. A test revealed a 0.21 BAC.
Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation and follow any recommendation of their drug and alcohol evaluation.
State sentence
Jose Luis Ramos, 34, of Allentown, was sentenced to serve one to five years in a state correctional institution on a DUI charge he previously pleaded to. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,500 and his license was suspended for 18 months. On a charge of driving under suspension, DUI related, he was sentenced to serve 45 to 90 days, (must serve the 90 days), pay a fine of $1,000 and pay court costs of about $1,000. The prison term is concurrent with the DUI charge.
Ramos was arrested on Aug. 20, 2016, along Route 248 at Bowmanstown by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.
Ramos is currently an inmate in the state correctional institution at Graterford serving a 5- to 10-year sentence imposed in Lehigh County.
Matika ruled his sentences would run concurrent with Lehigh.
