A Lansford man admitted to a shoplifting count and entered a guilty plea on April 1 in Carbon County court before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Alexander Joseph Modawar Sr., 35, pleaded to one count of retail theft, but mentally ill. Matika noted that he held a hearing on a petition filed by Modawar's attorney Gary D. Marchalk that he was mentally ill at the time of the incident at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township. After hearing testimony on the petition, Matika accepted the finding that the defendant was mentally ill when he committed the crime.Matika placed him on probation for 23 months and ordered him to render 50 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample, get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, zero tolerance on drug and alcohol use, make restitution of $779.54 and stay out of the store in Mahoning Township.