A Carbon County woman was spared a state prison sentence on Thursday afternoon when she pleaded guilty to a drug count. She was one of 10 defendants in pending drug-related cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Drug sale

Christy Hartman

, 30, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of criminal use of a communication facility, a felony 3, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Serfass immediately sentenced her to serve one day less 12 to one day less 24 months in the county prison on the first count and three to 12 months on the second, with the terms running concurrently.

Under state sentencing guidelines, the minimum term for the communications charge was anywhere between nine and 16 months. By keeping the sentence under two years, Serfass kept Hartman in the county prison.

Hartman was arrested by Jim Thorpe police as part of an undercover operation by the county drug task force. Police arranged a drug buy using a confidential informant on March 15 in Jim Thorpe. After the sale of heroin was made, a vehicle stop was conducted. Hartman was in the vehicle and admitted setting up the sale by using a cellphone.

Hartman, who has been in the county prison since her arrest, told Serfass, “I want to get this over with. I want to get on with my life.”

In addition to the prison term, Serfass ordered Hartman to supply a DNA sample, render a total of 150 hours of community service when paroled and zero tolerance imposed on drug or alcohol use. She was given credit for 66 days spent in prison on the charges.

Three counts

Ashley Marie Miller

, 30, Jim Thorpe, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia in three separate cases.

She pleaded to an incident on April 30, 2016, at Lentz and Second avenues, Lehighton; March 25, 2017, at South and First streets in Lehighton; and Sept. 19, 2017, along Patterson Street in Lansford. In two of the cases she was arrested following vehicle stops in which she was a passenger in the vehicle and found with drug paraphernalia. The March 25 arrest occurred when police were serving a warrant on her and found paraphernalia on her person.

She was also sentenced in a fourth case of drug paraphernalia in which she previously pleaded guilty to. That occurred on Feb. 20, 2016, along Valley View Road in Mahoning Township.

In the Feb. 20 case Serfass sentenced her to serve two to 12 months in prison with credit for 32 already served and paroled. On the remaining cases she was placed on probation for a total of two years. She was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render a total of 200 hours of community service.

Other pleas

Lawrence Michael Mustacchio

, 59, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of contraband. He was arrested following a vehicle stop by state police at Lehighton along Second Street in Lehighton. Mustacchio was a passenger in the vehicle and got out of the vehicle and began to walk away when he was told to stop by troopers. He was eventually taken into custody. He was originally charged with contraband, possession of a controlled substance by an inmate, but it was dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office.

Sentencing was deferred as Serfass ordered a presentence investigation report be prepared by the adult probation office.

Mustacchio is currently an inmate in the county prison.

Edward John Flaim

, 24, of Barnesville, pleaded to two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Dec. 3, 2016, at Beltzville State Park, along Old Mill Road, by park rangers. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea bargain.

He was placed on probation for a year on each count, running concurrently, and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render a total of 100 hours of community service.

Timothy Joseph Chuss

, 30, of Pen Argyl, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Jan. 6, 2017, by Lehighton police in the 100 block of Iron Street. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea bargain.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Saul Tauheed Landers

, 24, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Feb. 21, 2016, by state police at Pocono following a traffic stop along the turnpike in Kidder Township.

Serfass placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Amanda Schleicher

, 34, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on May 12, 2017, by Mahoning Township police in the 100 block of Jamestown Street, while officers were serving a warrant. Charges of possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child were dropped in a plea bargain.

Sentencing was deferred.

Alexander Kevin Dreher

, 39, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on April 17, 2017, in the 100 block of Millway Street, by Lehighton police, who were originally dispatched to the area for a domestic incident involving Dreher and his mother.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Dreher is currently an inmate in the county prison on a petition to revoke his parole in another case.

Kristi M. Edmonds

, 33, of New Ringgold, pleaded to two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia in two separate cases.

She was arrested on Jan. 21, 2016, and again on Jan. 25, 2016, by Lehighton police both times at the Blue Mountain Health Systems Campus. She appeared at the hospital for admission and had drug paraphernalia on her both times.

Serfass placed her on probation for six months on each count, running consecutively, and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Edmonds is currently an inmate in a Philadelphia prison serving a three- to six-month term. Serfass ruled his sentence run consecutive to the Philadelphia sentence.

Matthew S. Creveling

, 29, of Lansford, pleaded to one count each of possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Feb. 10 by Lehighton police along Constitution Avenue following a traffic stop. He was a passenger in the vehicle. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea bargain.

On the paraphernalia charge he was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service. On the marijuana count he was fined $300. The term runs consecutive to a probation period he is currently serving.

Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.