A White Haven resident was sentenced to a state prison term on Monday afternoon on charges of theft and driving under the influence.

Amos S. Keiper, 52, formerly of Jim Thorpe, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve a total of 12 to 36 months in a state correctional institution. Keiper previously pleaded guilty to the charges.Keiper was charged by state police at Fern Ridge for an incident on Aug. 6, 2011. He admitted taking a Caterpillar excavator from a construction site along Route 534 in Penn Forest Township.Responding to the incident troopers followed scrape marks on the road to a site several miles away, where they found Keiper operating the piece of equipment. The equipment was valued at $90,000 by its owner, Northeastern Site Developers.The DUI charge stemmed from a June 9, 2012, incident along Old Stage Road in the township. Fern Ridge troopers responded to that area and found a vehicle in a ditch with Keiper the driver. He was taken for a test, which revealed a 0.10 BAC.Keiper's sentencing had been deferred numerous times. Court records indicated at least 19 prior continuances. The continuances were granted as Keiper had to deal with several medical issues.Defense attorney Matthew J. Mottola, of the public defender's office, asked Serfass to sentence Keiper to a concurrent prison term with one he is now serving in Monroe County. He is serving a term of six to 18 months on DUI charges.Keiper asked for leniency, saying he has had a long battle with alcohol abuse and is now addressing it. He said he was trying to turn his life around. He said he wanted to, "show other people they can turn things around."Mottola asked to keep Keiper in the county prison due to the health problems. Keiper, however, admitted his health has improved since his guilty plea, but he is still facing some problems.Serfass rejected the request for concurrent terms and to keep Keiper in the county prison. He added, "Based on what I've heard today, there is no need for a mitigated range sentence."On the theft count, which is rated a felony three, Serfass ordered Keiper to make total restitution of $5,204.22 to his victims, supply a DNA sample and render 150 hours of community service when released from prison.On the DUI charge he was ordered to pay a fine of $750, license suspended for a year, and render another 25 hours of community service.He must also pay court costs of about $1,000. He was given credit for a total of 11 days on the theft charge and six days on the DUI charge for time spent in jail.Serfass said the sentence would run concurrent with the one in Monroe County.