Carbon County court — drug-related charges
Three defendants who entered guilty pleas to drug-related charges were sentenced on Thursday afternoon in Carbon County court. They appeared before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II.
State term
Jeffrey Allen Woolson, 50, of Palmerton, was sentenced to serve 16 to 60 months in a state correctional institution on two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Woolson was arrested on the first count on Aug. 3, 2017, when Palmerton police went to his apartment to serve a warrant.
During the service of the warrant, police found 40 bags of suspected heroin and cash of over $500. In a statement to police, Woolson said he didn’t use drugs, he “only sells them.”
The second count stems from a July 1, 2017, incident when the state police crimes unit used a confidential informant to make a drug purchase from Woolson at his residence in Palmerton.
Woolson is currently an inmate at the state prison at Mercer, Mercer County, serving a two and a half to 10-year sentence on drug counts imposed in Lehigh County.
Nanovic noted that a presentence investigation report, prepared by the county adult probation office but including information from a Lehigh County report, indicated Woolson had agreed to cooperate with Lehigh officials in drug investigations but did not cooperate. Woolson said he wanted to cooperate but couldn’t.
Nanovic also noted the report stated that Woolson, when released from Lehigh on bail, moved to Palmerton and set up another drug-selling operation and used his teenage son to deliver the drugs. Woolson denied that allegation, saying, “I would never use my son for that.”
Nanovic rejected running his term concurrent with Lehigh County, stating the sentence would run consecutive to the Lehigh term.
He also ordered Woolson to supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and make restitution of $176. He was given credit for 15 days already served on the sentence.
Lansford incident
Terrence Lamar Moore, 31, of Lansford, was sentenced to serve six to one day less 24 months in the county prison on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.
He was arrested on May 14, 2019, by Lansford police at Ridge and Chestnut streets. Officers were serving an active warrant when they found the illegal drugs in a backpack Moore had.
Moore said he successfully completed an inpatient drug rehabilitation program run by the Salvation Army, but used drugs a short time upon returning to Lansford.
Moore told the court, “I know I messed up. I was doing pretty good, then I slipped up.”
Moore has been in the county prison for an extended period of time serving a probation violation charge and the drug count.
In addition to the prison term, Nanovic ordered Moore to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, have no contact with anyone with a criminal record or known drug user.
He was given credit for 17 days already served on the sentence.
Assaults wife
Chad M. Eschback, 29, of Palmerton, appeared to be sentence on a charge of simple assault. He previously entered the plea and admitted assaulting his then wife on Oct. 22, 2018, at their residence in Lansford. He said the couple are now divorced.
Before sentencing, Eschback entered a guilty plea to a charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on July 29, 2018, by Summit Hill police following a traffic stop along Route 902.
On the assault count, Nanovic placed him on probation for a year, ordered he supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation, attend and successfully complete an anger management course.
On the drug count he was fined $100.
Moore and Eschback must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation.
