Carbon County court — drug-related cases

A total of nine defendants in drug-related cases entered guilty pleas in Carbon County court on Monday.

Judge Joseph J. Matika accepted the pleas from the following:

Robert Kosica, 50, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance, crystal methamphetamine. He was arrested on June 24, 2018, by Lansford police along West Ridge Street.

Defense attorney Matthew J. Rapa said Kosica has been struggling with an addiction problem which cost him his registered nurse license. He has a prior drug conviction in Schuylkill County.

Kosica said he was trying to get his problem under control, and believes he has, adding, “I’m done with all this.”

Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 50 hours of community service.

Kyle Paxton Carter, 28, of Bowmansville, Lancaster County, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on March 24, 2018, by Lansford police along East Phillips Street following a traffic stop.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service. The probation runs concurrent with a sentence in Bucks County.

Natan Jakubov, 43, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance with a felony count of contraband — possession of a controlled substance and possession dropped in a plea deal.

He was arrested on March 5, 2017, by Nesquehoning police for bringing illegal substances into the county prison. He was brought to the prison on other charges.

Matika sentenced him to serve 30 days to one year in jail, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

He will begin the jail term at 8:30 a.m. on June 21 and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.

Gabrielle Marie Sadusky, 20, of Tamaqua, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on Aug. 6, 2017, by Lansford police in a parking lot in the area of Edgemont Road. She was previously placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked from it for violating conditions.

Matika put her on probation for six months and ordered her to render 25 hours of community service. The term runs concurrent with a probation sentence in Schuylkill County.

Sean Michael Williams, 30, of Whitehall, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. A felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

He was arrested on Aug. 20, 2018, by Nesquehoning police in the 1000 block of East Catawissa Street after being involved in a crash. Methamphetamine was found, police said.

Sentencing was deferred.

Jeremy Scott Rawlins, 31, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Dec. 4, 2018, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Fireline Road at Maple Drive in Lower Towamensing Township.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Charles King Jr., 39, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on March 29, 2017, by Kidder Township police along Route 903 following a traffic stop.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service.

Sheanna Lynn Hittinger, 37, of Freeland, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine. She was arrested on June 12, 2018, by state police at Hazleton along River Street in East Side Borough when troopers served a warrant on her. She is currently an inmate in the state correctional institution at Muncy, Lycoming County, being evaluated for the state Intermediate Punishment program.

She was fined $300 and costs.

Sean Robert Trinkle, 50, of White Haven, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Sept. 10, 2017, by Nesquehoning police at the county prison where he was brought on a warrant by Weatherly police. The drugs were found on him.

Matika placed him on probation for six months on each count, running concurrently, and ordered he render 25 hours of community service. The term runs concurrent with a sentence in Luzerne County.

Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation.