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New York man given prison term on drug related charges

A New York state resident was given a prison term on Thursday in Carbon County court on a drug count and receiving charge he previously pleaded guilty to. He was one of six defendants to be sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Enrique Ortiz, 47, of New York City, and formerly of Lansford, was sentenced on charges of possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property.On the possession charge he was sentenced to time served (175 days) to 18 months in prison. On the receiving charge, one to 12 months, with credit for 175 days, and was immediately paroled.He was given credit for five months spent in a inpatient rehabilitation program. He was also ordered to continue his current drug counseling program, zero tolerance imposed on drug use, and make restitution of $199.98.He was charged with the drug count following a vehicle stop along SR248 in Bowmanstown, by state police. A search of the vehicle found prescription pills he did not have a prescription for. The receiving count was for an incident at the CVS pharmacy in Nesquehoning where two flat screens televisions were taken.Travis Fichter, 21, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County, was sentenced to serve six to 12 months in the county prison on a charge of escape. He previously pleaded to the count.He was arrested by state police at Fern Ridge for leaving a youth forestry camp in Kidder Township on Aug. 9, 2010, without permission. He had been placed in the facility by the Montgomery County court.In addition to the jail term, Fichter was ordered to get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance on D&A use, and render 50 hours of community service.He will serve a weekend sentence, beginning Friday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. until Sunday at 7 p.m. Then on Dec. 6 he will begin serving all the remaining time straight.Timothy J. Willman, 27, of Pine Grove, was sentenced to time served (29 days) to 18 months in jail on a charge of resisting arrest.He was arrested on Nov. 22, 2012, by Nesquehoning police for an incident in the area of 127 W. Columbus Ave.He was also ordered to get a D&A evaluation, attend and complete an anger management course, and render 50 hours of community service.On a harassment charge, he was fined $100.Frederick R. Bryan II, 33, of Hazleton, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail on a driving under the influence (DUI) charge.He was arrested on April 14, along Broad St., in Beaver Meadows. Given a test, the result showed the presence of a controlled substance.He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for a year, zero tolerance on D&A use, continue drug counseling, and render 25 hours of community service.He was given credit for 19 days spent in an inpatient rehab program and was immediately paroled.Christopher M. Levy, 30, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to serve one to two years in the county prison on a DUI charge.He was arrested on March 2, 2012, along SR940 by Kidder Township police after being involved in an accident. Given a test, the result was .23BAC.Matika noted that the conviction is Levy's sixth for DUI.He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months, zero tolerance on D&A use, and render 100 hours of community service when released on parole.He will begin the jail term at noon on Sept. 3.Pleads guiltyCarl William Mazur, 25, of Weatherly, pleaded guilty to one count each of fleeing and eluding police, recklessly endangering another person, and driving under suspension-DUI related.He was arrested on Dec. 29, 2012, along Main Street, by Weatherly police.On the fleeing charge Matika sentenced him to time served (85 days) to one year in jail; on the recklessly endangering count to the same term, concurrent; and on the suspension count, 60 days in jail, with credit for 85 days, and immediately paroled.He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 on the suspension count, and render 50 hours of community service.Each defendant must also pay court costs, which average close to $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.