A Northampton County woman, who authorities said was a major player in the distribution of methamphetamine in a multiple county area, was given a short prison term Thursday in Carbon County court after previously pleading guilty.

She was one of several defendants who had entered guilty pleas at prior dates to be sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika.Meth labKerri L. Graham, 39, of Wind Gap, was arrested on Oct. 14, 2008, when agents of the state Attorney General's Office and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at her residence. Found in the home was quantities of methamphetamine and $34,000 in cash. Also found was a handgun.Police said Graham was operating a meth laboratory in her home and it was producing large quantities of the drug which was in turn being distributed in Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties. It was estimated five pounds of the drug was being produced at a time.Graham told Matika at the time she was addicted to crystal methamphetamine. Since her arrest she has completed drug and alcohol counseling programs and continues in counseling. She claimed she is drug free.Defense Atty. Steven Mills told Matika that Graham has cooperated extensively with state and federal officials in other drug investigations. That cooperation was confirmed by Carbon County District Attorney Gary F. Dobias.Matika said he would take into consideration her cooperation with authorities, but added that she also had to pay a price for what she did.He said the court also wanted to send a message not only to her but to others who deal in illegal drugs that it is not taken lightly by the court.On the charge of possession of a controlled substance Matika sentenced her to serve 30 days to one year in jail. He also ordered her to perform 50 hours of community service and imposed zero tolerance on drug use or possession.On a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia she was placed on probation for six months, concurrent with the first count, and on a charge of possession of an instrument of crime, she was also placed on probation for a year, consecutive to the other counts, and must render an addition 50 hours of community service.She will begin the jail term on March 5 at 9 a.m. Matika said if she secures fulltime employment before then he would grant her work release privileges.Other casesAllen Dale Fink, 50, of Palmerton, was sentenced to serve 48 hours in jail, 28 days in the county's Intermediate Punishment Program (IPP) with electronic monitoring, followed by five months on probation.He previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence (DUI). He was arrested on May 22, 2011, along Trachsville Hill Road in Towamensing Township, after being involved in an accident. Given a test, the result was .09BAC.Matika also ordered Fink pay a fine of $750, license suspended for a year, get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance on D&A use, and render 25 hours of community service.Elizabeth Espino, 50, of Brodheadsville, was placed on probation for 18 months on charges of theft and receiving stolen property.She previously admitted taking the credit card of Gloria Choy, a elderly woman who police said befriended the defendant, and made purchases without the victim's permission. Restitution was set at $1,053.77.Defense Atty. Joseph Perilli told Matika Espino repaid the victim all but $199.97 owed and has repeatedly express regret for her actions and has apologized to the victim.Matika also ordered Espino to make the final restitution payment by Tuesday, Feb. 28, get both D&A and mental health evaluations, zero tolerance imposed on D&A use, render 75 hours of community service, and write a letter of apology to the victim.William Pizzolo, 24, of Kunkletown, was placed on probation for a year on a charge of criminal attempt to possess a controlled substance. He was arrested on Aug. 15, 2011, at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township where he attempted to have a forged prescription for 90 tables of oxycodone filled. At the time of his arrest police seized $2,412 in cash. Pizzolo claims the money was won at a casino several days prior to his arrest. Authorities have not decided if they will seek to have the money forfeited to the Commonwealth.Perilli told Matika that Pizzolo successfully completed a 30 day inpatient rehab drug program and also spent five days in a detox center.Matika also ordered Pizzolo to continue counseling, zero tolerance imposed on D&A use, and render 50 hours of community service.Harry Walter Compton, 55, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail on a DUI charge. He was arrested on July 2, 2011, along Pohopoco Drive in Franklin Township. Given a test, the result was. 12BAC.Matika also ordered he pay a fine of $300, license suspended for a year, get a D&A evaluation, and zero tolerance on D&A use.Compton spent 32 days in a inpatient rehab program which Matika gave him credit for against the prison term and immediately paroled him.ARD placementJames Nicholas Tahaney, 21, of Auburn, Schuylkill County, was placed in the county's Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) probation program for first time offenders.Tahaney was placed on a charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on Sept. 10, 2011, along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township following a vehicle stop.Tahaney was ordered to pay $350 for the program, get a D&A evaluation, and render 50 hours of community service. If he completes all conditions of the program his record will be wiped clean.Each defendant must also pay court costs, which average close to $1,000, and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.