A Carbon County man was sentenced to a county prison term on Tuesday after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and endangering the welfare of children.

He was one of five defendants in pending DUI-related cases to enter a guilty plea before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II.

Lehighton incident

Justin Allen Conklin

, 23, of Palmerton, was sentenced to serve one to 60 months in prison on the DUI count and one to 12 months on the endangering charge with the terms running concurrently. He must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.

Nanovic rejected a request from Conklin’s attorney, Andrew T. Bench, of the public defender’s office, to sentence his client in the mitigated range, no jail time. Nanovic noted Conklin was driving with his then 3-month-old son in the vehicle and admitted smoking marijuana to the officer. He said a mitigated sentenced was “not justified.”

Conklin was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for 18 months, render 100 hours of community service and zero tolerance impose for drug or alcohol use.

He will begin serving the prison term on March 22 at 11 a.m. and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.

Other pleas

Justin Neff

, 33, of Tamaqua, was arrested on May 12, 2018, by Nesquehoning police along Stock Street after his vehicle struck a utility pole. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred so Neff can apply for placement in the county’s Intermediate Punishment Program, house arrest.

Anthony S. Thorpe

, 31, of Nesquehoning, was arrested on Sept. 7, 2018, along Bertsch Street by Lansford police. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Thorpe is currently an inmate in the state correctional institution at Camp Hill, Cumberland County, serving a one- to three-year term imposed in Carbon County.

Nanovic sentenced him to serve one to six months in prison, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. The term runs concurrent with the state sentence. He must also pay court costs of about $1,000.

Crishner Craig Samuel

, 32, of Weatherly, also pleaded to endangering the welfare of children and driving under suspension. He was arrested on Dec. 26, 2016, by state police at Hazleton along Route 93 in Packer Township. A test revealed a 0.24 BAC.

He was arrested after he was involved in a crash. Troopers found his then 4-year-old son in the vehicle.

Sentencing was deferred so Samuel can apply for placement in the IPP.

Joshua Todd Robert Barlip

, 28, of Lansford, was arrested on March 11, 2018, along State Road by Palmerton police. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. It was noted police responded to a road rage incident in which Barlip was one part of it.

Sentencing was deferred so Barlip can obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Brian Patrick Pinch

, 48, of Albrightsville, was arrested on July 27, 2018, by Lehighton police along Route 443. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred so Pinch can obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and also apply for placement in the IPP.

Flees police

Brandon D. Bowman

, 22, of Tamaqua, pleaded to one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police. He was arrested on Dec. 3, 2018, by Summit Hill police who attempted to stop him along White Bear Drive for a traffic violation. He fled but was eventually stopped by Tamaqua police.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he pay a fine of $500, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation and zero tolerance imposed on drug or alcohol use.