Walnutport man sentenced to prison term on drug charges

A Walnutport man was sentenced to a county prison term on Thursday in Carbon County court after pleading guilty to drug-related charges.

Judge Steven R. Serfass sentenced Willard John Yons III, 44, to serve one day less 12 to one day less 24 months in prison on a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to delivery and to serve 24 months probation on a charge of possessing phenylpropanolamine or a precursor substance with intent to unlawfully manufacture a controlled substance. The terms run consecutively.

Yons was arrested on June 16, 2017, by Jim Thorpe police following a traffic stop near the high school. Found in the vehicle was methamphetamine, a scale and other items used in the sale of drugs, along with various materials used in the manufacture of illegal substances.

Defense attorney Matthew Rapa asked the court to impose a sentence at the very low end of state sentencing guidelines (three months) because Yons had no prior criminal activity. Serfass rejected that request by imposing the one day less 12 months term.

Yons was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, render a total of 200 hours of community service, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and probation.

Yons was given credit for 30 days already served. He will begin the jail term at 4 p.m. on Sept. 5. He was granted work-release privileges.