A Weatherly area man admitted in Carbon County court on Tuesday to operating a "chop shop" at his home.

Edwin Torres, 30, of 194 Ten Point Lane, Lausanne Township, pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the operation before Judge Steven R. Serfass and is facing a long state prison term at the time of sentencing.Torres pleaded to two counts each of receiving stolen property and possession of a prohibited weapon, all felonies; owning and operating a chop shop and possession of firearm by a convicted felon.State police at Hazleton arrested Torres following an extensive investigation that revealed the defendant would steal items, mostly All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), from the Allentown area, where he is a native, and bring them to his Weatherly property and dismantle them.Troopers said a search of the property found eight ATVs that were previously stolen and a large amount of firearms, also most of which were stolen, at the site.Troopers said Torres would make nightly trips to the Allentown area and enter garages and other buildings and removed various types of items in addition to the ATVs, including such things a riding mowers.Torres has a prior felony conviction and therefore is not permitted to possess any type of firearm.Under state sentencing guidelines Torres is facing a minimum sentence of four to eight years in state prison. In the plea agreement with the district attorney's office Torres pleaded in two pending cases. The agreement calls for the sentences imposed on the charges in each case to run concurrent, but that the sentences for each individual case could run consecutive. That decision is left up to Serfass.Serfass accepted the pleas but deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation (PSI).Torres is currently in custody in a state prison.