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Carbon County court - THEFT CASES

A Carbon County man admitted to retail theft charges on Tuesday in the county court.

He was one of four defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.Mahoning incidentsMichael Paul Rehrig,32, of Palmerton, admitted to three retail theft charges, all occurring at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township.Township police said Rehrig took televisions from the store on Nov. 14 and 15, 2015. Two of the thefts were on Nov. 14, and one involved his brother as a co-defendant.Rehrig said he didn't have a drug problem but stole because he needed money. However, Matika noted in the police report that Rehrig told police he had stolen for drugs.Matika sentenced him to time served (27 days) to 24 months, less a day, in jail on all three counts, running the terms concurrently.He was also ordered to render 75 hours of community service, get a drug and alcohol evaluation, stay out of Walmart and make total restitution of $385.09 to Walmart.Other pleasOther defendants entering guilty pleas included:Isaiah Woodrow Sanders,19, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count each of receiving stolen property and possession of a small amount of marijuana.He was arrested on Dec. 4, 2015, by state police at Fern Ridge following a vehicle stop along Interstate 80 in East Side Borough. Sanders was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to have a stolen handgun in his possession plus the paraphernalia.Matika sentenced him to serve nine to one day less 24 months in the county prison with credit for 13 days. He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, render 50 hours of community service when released from prison and supply a DNA sample. On the paraphernalia charge he was fined $100.He began the jail term immediately.Stevan Janine Lewin,25, of Jamaica, New York, pleaded to one count of possession of access devices knowing it to be counterfeit. She was arrested on Aug. 5, 2015, following a vehicle stop along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township by state police at Fern Ridge. Found in the vehicle were 72 counterfeit credit cards. None had been used, it was noted.Matika placed her on probation for six months and ordered her to render 25 hours of community service.Michael Chase Slater-Trine,19, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of retail theft. He was arrested by Mahoning Township police for an incident at the Walmart store on Jan. 30, 2015, in which he took two PlayStation units.He was sentenced to time served (16 days) to one year in jail, and ordered to render 50 hours of community service, make restitution of $199.92 and stay out of the store.Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.