Nine persons in pending criminal cases entered guilty pleas on Tuesday in Carbon County court. Also, three first time offenders were placed in a special probation program.

Judge Steven R. Serfass accepted the pleas from the following:Charles Martin Haupt III, 33, of Lansford, pleaded to one count each of retail theft, as a misdemeanor two, and harassment, as a summary offense. He was arrested on Dec. 1, 2009, by Lansford police for an incident at Boyer's Market. He took $10 worth of merchandise from the store. When confronted by a store employee outside the store he threatened the employee which led to the harassment charge.Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months and ordered he render 50 hours of community service. On the harassment charge he was fined $300 and costs. He was given credit for two days spent in jail on the charge.Brett Anthony Montanari, 21, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of default on required appearance. He was arrested by Nesquehoning police on information received from the county prison.Montanari was sentenced to serve a three to six month prison term by the county court and was to report on April 1. He failed to report and was later turned himself in to authorities. The jail term was for a probation violation. He is currently in the prison serving the term.Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months.Brian Kulick, 45, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of driving under the influence (DUI). He was arrested on April 9 at Allen and Willow sts, in Nesquehoning. Given a test, the result was .35BAC.Serfass placed him on probation for six months as a first time offender, imposed a fine of $300 and ordered he get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment.John Richard Muffley, 21, of New Ringgold, pleaded to one count of default on required appearance. He was arrested by Nesquehoning police on information received from the county prison.Muffley was scheduled to report to the prison on Feb. 1 to serve a three to six month prison term. He was later picked up on a warrant.Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months.Adam Troy Smith, 43, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of simple assault. He was arrested on March 21 by Nesquehoning police for an incident in the area of 239 E. Catawissa St. with a 13-year-old female the listed victim.Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months and ordered he render 75 hours of community service and have no contact with the victim. He was given credit for one day spent in jail on the charge.Deborah J. Dickman, 41, of Coaldale, pleaded to one count of retail theft. She was arrested by Nesquehoning police for an incident at the Dollar General Store at 1129 E. Catawissa St., which occurred on Jan. 25. She attempted to steal $51.09 worth of merchandise.Serfass placed her on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service.Lorraine Delores Kofchock, 60, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of DUI. She was arrested on July 27, 2010, along Snyder Avenue in Lansford after being involved in an accident in which her vehicle struck a parked car. Given a test, the result was .35BAC.Serfass sentenced her to serve 48 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $500, one year license suspension, get a D&A evaluation and zero tolerance on D&A use.She begins the jail term on July 6 at 9 a.m.Robert Charles Pope, 43, of White Haven, pleaded to one count of defiant trespass. He was arrested for an incident on May 7 in the Pocono Lake development involving Maureen Collins, as the victim. Collins and Pope had a prior relationship which she ended, it was noted.Serfass sentenced him to time served (12 days) to one year in jail and immediately paroled him. He was ordered to have no contact with Collins, make restitution to her for $350, get a D&A evaluation, zero tolerance imposed on D&A use and attend and complete anger management counseling.Cody Frank, 18, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of each of persistent disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor three, and summary counts of underage drinking and public drunkenness. He was arrested on May 8 at Patterson and Springgarden sts., in Lansford.On the conduct charge Serfass placed him on probation for a year and ordered he render 36 hours of community service. He was given credit for four days spent in jail on the charge.On the summary charges he was fined a total of $300 and costs.Each defendant must also pay court cost, which averages about $1,000, and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.ARD placementsThree persons were placed in the county's Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) probation program by Serfass.If a person successfully completes all conditions of the program their record is wiped clean. However, if a person is revoked from it for failure to complete the conditions the Commonwealth reserves the right to prosecute them on all pending charges. A person does not admit guilt in entering the program.Those placed were:Robert H. Funk, 24, of Weatherly, was placed for 18 months on a DUI charge. He was arrested on Feb. 3 along Main St., in Weatherly. Given a test, the result was .18BAC.He was ordered to pay $450 for the cost of the program, get a D&A evaluation, and license suspended for 60 days.Jonathan Montalvo, 23, of Albrightsville, was placed for two years on a charge of DUI. He was arrested on Dec. 24, 2010, along SR903 in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance in his system.He was ordered to pay $450 for the program, get a D&A evaluation and license suspended for 60 days.Miroslaw Niemczyk, 52, of Effort, was placed for two years on a charge of theft by deception. He was arrested by Kidder Township police for an incident on June 15, 2010. Police allege that Niemczyk, employed as a security guard, was given a deposit bag containing $3,350 from Vacation Charters but never made the deposit.He was ordered to pay $350 for the program, resign his position (which he did), make restitution of $3,350 (which was paid in April), and render 15 hours of community service.The three must also pay court costs and a $50 per month supervision fee while in the program.