Published May 28. 2014 12:27PM
A Philadelphia man was sentenced to a county prison term on Tuesday in Carbon County court after previously pleading guilty to driving under the influence and drug charges.
Jonathan P. Rios, 32, was sentenced by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II to serve a total of nine months to five years in prison on the DUI charge. He was also sentenced to serve three to 12 months on a charge of possession of a controlled substance-marijuana, and fined $500 on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. The drug count prison term runs concurrent with the DUI charge.Rios was arrested on April 11, 2012, by state police at Lehighton, along the turnpike in Franklin Township.Given a test, the result showed the presence of a controlled substance. Also found at the stop was marijuana and other paraphernalia.Rios recently completed 21 days in an inpatient rehabilitation program in Philadelphia and is currently involved in an intensive outpatient program.A request to sentence Rios in the mitigated range of state sentencing guidelines and give him credit for the time spent in the outpatient program were rejected by Nanovic.Nanovic noted that Rios has an extensive prior criminal record which includes other drug convictions and a robbery conviction in which he spent time in prison.On the DUI charge, Nanovic imposed a fine of $2,500, 18-month license suspension, and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, and zero tolerance imposed on D&A use. He must also pay court costs, which average about $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.He was given credit for the 21 days spent in the inpatient program. The jail term began immediately.