Man sent to state prison for assaulting Thorpe police officers

A Montgomery County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Thursday afternoon after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and attempted aggravated assault on police officers.

John George Carfagno, 26, of Collegeville, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve 27 to 60 months in a state correctional institution on both counts with the terms running concurrently.

Carfagno was arrested on June 11 along West Fourth Street following a traffic stop by Jim Thorpe police.

Carfagno was a passenger in the vehicle and was asked for identification. He gave a false name.

Officers then told him and the driver to exit the vehicle. At this point when he was told he was being detained, he began to fight with the officers.

During the altercation, which ended when police used a Taser on Carfagno, Detective Lee Marzen and Officer Matthew Schwarz were assaulted. Marzen sustained injuries that required medical treatment and resulted in him going on medical leave. He has since recovered.

Carfagno declined to speak when asked if he had anything to tell the court.

Defense Attorney Eric Wiltrout, of the public defender’s office, asked the court to sentence Carfagno to the lower end of the state sentencing guidelines, which was 21 months.

Serfass rejected that, stating the court had to “look at the facts of the case and the gravity of what happened.” He then imposed a sentence at the high end of the guidelines.

Carfagno was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, pay court costs of about $1,000 and supply a DNA sample.

He was given credit for 137 days spent in prison to date on the charges.