Carbon County court – DUI

Two defendants in pending driving under the influence cases entered guilty pleas on Monday in Carbon County court.

Judge Steven R. Serfass accepted the pleas from the following:

Wesley L. Behler, 27, of Lehighton, was arrested for the DUI count on July 14, 2018, by Lehighton police along Maiden Lane. He also entered a plea to possession of a prohibitive offensive weapon. Found in the vehicle was a set of brass knuckles.

Behler also pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance for an incident on Sept. 6, 2018, filed by Lehighton police along North Second Street. While serving a warrant on Behler officers found methamphetamine.

On the DUI count Serfass sentenced him to serve 90 days to 60 months in prison, pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use. He was given credit for 187 days spent in prison on the charge and paroled.

On the weapons charge he was sentenced to serve six to 23 months in prison, concurrent with the DUI count with the same jail credit; and on the possession charge six to 23 months concurrent with the other charges with the came credit. He was also ordered to render a total of 300 hours of community service.

John Ruzicka, 32, of Lehighton, was arrested on Nov. 29, 2018, by Lehighton police along Route 443. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred so Ruzicka can apply for placement in the Intermediate Punishment Program, house arrest.

Sentenced

Lawrence Elmer Fredericks, 55, of Tamaqua, who previously pleaded to a DUI count, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months on the DUI count and 45 to 90 days on a charge of driving under suspension, DUI related. He must serve the full 90 days. The terms run concurrently.

He was also fined a total of $2,000 and license suspended for a total of two years. He was given credit for 13 days. Fredericks is currently in custody in Schuylkill County. He will serve the remaining time on the 90 days in the Carbon County prison before going back to Schuylkill County.

Behler and Fredericks must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.