A former Carbon County man was sentenced to a long state prison term on Tuesday for his part in a four-county burglary and drug ring.

Robert Cesanek, 23, formerly of Nesquehoning and currently an inmate in the county prison, was sentenced to a total term of 42 to 84 months on Schuylkill County Senior Judge D. Michael Stine, specially presiding in Carbon.Cesanek previously pleaded guilty to five criminal counts including burglary, thefts and simple assasult.Cesanek was one of 12 persons arrested in April 2010 for taking part in a drug and burglary ring that was operating in Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill counties for a few years.Agents of the state Attorney General's office along wtih county drug task force and local police were involved in the investigation into the ring. At the time of the arrest of the 12 Carbon District Attorney Gary F. Dobias called the investigation into the ring, "Operation Golden Dope."Cesanek admitted to breaking into properties in Lehighton and Nesquehoning (two), and one each in Northampton County and Allentown in Lehigh County.Among items stolen was jewelry, guns and cash. The stolen property was later sold at pawn shops with the money used to purchase illegal drugs for resale in Carbon. The assault count stems from an incident in Nesquehoning.Cesanek is currently under a state sentence for cases in the other counties.Stine told Cesanek that he was still a young man and could turn is life around after he gets the help he needs for a drug addiction problem in the state system.Cesanek told the court, "I have no excuses for what I did. I have to take my punishment." He expressed remorse for his action to all the victims involved in the break-ins.He also faces a big restitution bill as Stine ordered he pay a total of $11,455.66 to various victims. Stine also ordered Cesanek get both a drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendation for treatment and imposed zero tolerance on drug and alcohol use when released on parole and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.He was given credit for 772 days spent in prison to date on the charges.