A Montgomery County man, who drove a car drunk with two young children in it and who has a long history of drunken driving, was sentenced to a long prison term Thursday in Carbon County court. He was one of 15 defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II.

Thorpe incidentMichael J. Traynor, 50, of Rockledge, pleaded guilty to one count each of driving under the influence (DUI) and recklessly endangering another person.Traynor was arrested on Aug. 13 along SR209 in Jim Thorpe after being observed driving erratically. At the stop near the Turkey Hill market police found two young children in the rear seat, one in a child safety seat, with a female in the front passenger seat.Traynor was given a blood test and it revealed a .24 BAC. Police also noted an interlock system in the car had been disconnected. The system is installed in vehicles of convicted drunk drivers under state law. If a person has alcohol in them the instrument detects it and the vehicle will not start.Traynor attempted to tell Nanovic that he disconnected the system after he had stopped his vehicle in Jim Thorpe and then consumed alcohol. Nanovic told him, "I don't believe that story at all."Nanovic also noted that Traynor has four prior DUI convictions. He told the defendant, "Apparently you didn't learn anything."On the DUI charge Nanovic sentenced him to serve 18 months to five years in jail, a fine of $5,000, 18 month license suspension, get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment. On the recklessly endangering charge he was sentenced to serve one day less one year to one day less two years in jail, concurrent with the DUI term.Traynor is also being held on a detainer from Montgomery County for a parole violation on another DUI charge.Todd James Brown, 23, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count each of escape and criminal trespass as a felony. He was arrested on Sept. 3 by Lehighton police.Police observed Brown walking along a borough street and stopped him. They had a bench warrant for his arrest for failure to appear. Brown fled on foot. He was later located at an apartment along First St.Borough police, with the assistance of sheriff deputies and other area police, entered the apartment to get Brown. He fled out an upper floor window and ran along several roof tops as police gave chase. He was finally located in another building which he broke into.Nanovic sentenced him to serve three to 18 months in prison on the trespass charge followed by one year of probation. On the escape count he was sentenced to serve three to 12 months in jail, concurrent with the trespass term.He was also ordered to get a D&A evaluation, supply a DNA sample and pay the $250 fee, zero tolerance on D&A use, and render three hours of community service per month while on parole. He was given credit for 125 days spent in jail to date on the charge.Wallace Baldwin, 26, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of a prohibited offensive weapon. He was arrested on July 3 for an incident along Susquehanna St. in Jim Thorpe in which police said he threatened another person with a stun gun. It is illegal to possess a stun gun unless authorized.Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he pay a fine of $500 and render three hours of community service per month while on probation.Jordan Christopher Adair, 21, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property, as a felony three. He was arrested to stealing a bank deposit bag at the McDonald's Restaurant in Penn Forest Township on Feb. 22, 2008. He was employed at the restaurant at the time and was involved in other thefts with another employee, state police at Fern Ridge said.Taken in the incident was $3,531.80.Nanovic deferred sentencing so a question concerning the total amount of restitution due is settled. Troopers said over $20,000 was taken.Jason A. Rao, 37, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of simple assault. He was arrested on Sept. 3 by Jim Thorpe police for an incident along SR903 with Edward Snyder the listed victim.Police said Rao assaulted Snyder about the head and body. Snyder was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill for treatment of injuries.Nanovic deferred sentencing because of a question concerning restitution due the victim.Michael Keiper, 32, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of simple assault and two summary counts of harassment. He was arrested on Oct. 11, 2009, by Jim Thorpe police for an incident at 425 South St. Listed victims included Albertes Yeakel, Judie Yeakel and Vicki Yeakel.Keiper was residing at the residence at the time when police responded to a reported domestic incident. Police said Keiper threatened the three victims with a board.Nanovic placed Keiper on probation for two years on the assault count and ordered he pay a fine of $500, attend and complete anger management counseling and render three hours of community service per month while on probation.On the two harassment charges he was fined $150 on each count.Jeremy W. Klinger, 22, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of retail theft. He was arrested on Oct. 21 at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township where he attempted to steal electronic equipment valued at $302.14.Klinger said he stole the items to sell to get money to feed a drug habit.Nanovic placed him on probation for two years and ordered he get a D&A and zero tolerance imposed on D&A use.John Charles Knoskie, 53, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on July 3 along Sycamore Circle in the Indian Mountain Lakes development in Penn Forest Township. Given a test, the result was .27 BAC. It is his third offense.Nanovic deferred sentencing because Knoskie is currently in a rehabilitation program in York and has three more months to complete it.Ronald Getz, 40, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on Aug. 17 along First St. in Lehighton. Given a test, the result was .18 BAC. Getz has three prior DUI convictions, all over 10 years ago, Nanovic noted.Nanovic sentenced him to serve three days to six months in jail, a fine of $300 and ordered a D&A evaluation. He will serve the three days on consecutive Saturdays beginning Jan. 15 at 9 a.m.Kyle Joseph White, 19, of Northampton, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an instrument of crime. He was arrested on April 11 by Mahoning Township police for an incident along SR443. White was in a vehicle traveling along the road and fired a BB gun at two men working on a roof of a home along the road. He also pointed a gun at a passing motorist, forcing the driver to pull off the road in fear. One of the roof workers was struck by a BB but was not injuredPolice said they found more than one BB gun in the vehicle and all were designed to look like real weapons. The driver of the car previously pleaded guilty to his part in the incident.Nanovic placed him on probation for 18 months and ordered he pay a fine of $750.James Francis Lakata, 54, of Weatherly, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on March 14 along SR209 in Jim Thorpe by state police. Given a test, the result was .10 BAC.He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and get a D&A evaluation. It was a first offense, it was noted.Frank Allesch, 48, of Coaldale, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property. He was arrested on Aug. 24 by Lehighton police for his part in the theft of a public address speaker at the Sam Miller Field.Nanovic placed him on probation for six months and ordered he pay restitution of $35 and render three hours of community service per month while on probation. He was given credit for five days spent in jail on the charge.Each defendant must also pay court costs and a $50 per month supervision fee.