Carbon man given prison term for drug possession

A Carbon County man was sentenced to a county prison term on Thursday after previously admitting to a drug charge.

Lawrence Michael Mustacchio, 59, of Lehighton, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve one day less 12 to one day less 24 months in prison on a charge of contraband, possession of a controlled substance.

The jail term will be followed by two years of probation.

He was arrested following a vehicle stop by state police at Lehighton along Second Street in Lehighton.

Mustacchio was a passenger in the vehicle and got out of the vehicle and began to walk away when he was told to stop by troopers. He was eventually taken into custody.

He was originally charged with contraband, possession of a controlled substance by an inmate, but it was dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office.

Defense attorney Gregory Lee Mousseau, chief public defender, said his client’s involvement with illegal substances stems from the untimely death of his daughter and an injury he sustained while working that led to him using painkillers.

Mustacchio, who served a 90-day jail term for a probation violation, said the painkillers led to other drugs.

He said he went “cold turkey” but slipped due to other family problems.

Mustacchio was also ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and probation and render a total of 200 hours of community service when paroled.

He was given credit for 97 days spent in prison to date on the charges.