A Lehigh County man was sentenced to a state prison term last Thursday on a charge of retail theft.

He was one of three defendants who previously entered guilty pleas to criminal charges who were sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Mahoning incident

Juan Torres Jr., 35, of Allentown, was sentenced to serve one to two years in a state correctional institution on a charge of criminal conspiracy — retail theft. He was charged by Mahoning Township police for an incident on Feb. 7 at the Walmart store where he and two co-defendants took $1,707.42 worth of merchandise.

Torres is currently serving a prison term for a retail theft count in Berks County.

Matika also ordered him to render 50 hours of community service when released, supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, make restitution of $569.14 to Walmart and stay out of the store.

He was given credit for 226 days spent in prison on the charge. The sentence runs concurrent with Berks County.

Nesquehoning incident

Charles Martin Haupt III, 39, of Jim Thorpe, was placed on probation for 18 months on a retail theft charge.

He was arrested by Nesquehoning police on June 4, 2016, for an incident at Redner’s Warehouse Market where he took $11.32 worth of merchandise.

Matika also ordered him to render 75 hours of community service, get both mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, supply a DNA sample, make restitution of $11.32 and stay out of the store.

Escape charge

Bradley Paul Zettlemoyer, 33, of Nesquehoning, was placed in the states Intermediate Punishment program for two years by Matika on a charge of escape.

Zettlemoyer was furloughed from the county prison to attend an inpatient Salvation Army drug rehab program in Harrisburg. When furloughed, he was told if he left the facility early or was discharged from it for violating the rules, he had to immediately report back to the county prison. Zettlemoyer left the rehab facility without being discharged but failed to report back to the county prison. He was then charged with escape, which he pleaded to.

The state program includes Zettlemoyer serving about seven months in a state correctional institution, a period of time in an intensive drug and alcohol program and then the remaining time in a halfway house. If he gets kicked out of the program he will be brought back and resentenced, Matika warned him.

Zettlemoyer is currently an inmate at SCI-Camp Hill, Dauphin County.