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Two drug dealers given state prison terms; others enter pleas

A Tresckow couple entered guilty pleas on Thursday afternoon in Carbon County court to drug dealing charges and were sentenced to state prison terms.

They were among 13 defendants in pending cases to enter guilty pleas before Judge Joseph J. Matika.Controlled buysKatiria Ivelisse Collado, 32, and her live-in boyfriend, Shameer Hakim, 32, both of 6 S. Chestnut St., Tresckow, Banks Township, each pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Collado's plea involved heroin and Haki's cocaine.Each were arrested after state police at Hazleton conducted controlled buys from the two using a confidential informant (CI).Collado sold heroin to a CI on July 24, 2012, outside her residence. Hakim sold cocaine to a CI on June 13, 2012, also outside the residence.Collado was sentenced to serve 16 to 32 months in a state prison and ordered to get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, forfeit the $4,296 troopers sized from the residence after a search warrant was served, and also supply a DNA sample. She was made eligible for the state boot camp program but must first qualify.She will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1 by reporting to the county prison.Hakim was sentenced to serve 36 to 72 months in a state prison. He was also ordered to supply a DNA sample. He was given credit for five days spent in jail on the charge.He begins the prison term at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1 by reporting to the county prison.Hakim is also facing drug related charges in Luzerne County.Other casesOther defendants who entered guilty pleas included:Travis Schoenberger, 25, of Weatherly, pleaded to one count each of resisting arrest and persistent disorderly conduct. He was arrested on May 3, 2012, at his residence at 46 Dunnigan St. Borough police responded to the home to a report of a male out of control. He resisted arrest when police attempted to take him into custody.On the resisting charge Matika sentenced him to serve three to 12 months in the county jail and ordered he get a mental health evaluation.The same sentence was imposed on the conduct charge, running concurrently. He wa given credit for 67 days spent in jail to date on the charges.Katelyn McFarland, 21, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property. She was arrested on July 18, 2012, by Palmerton police for taking a Xbox game system from the residence of her father, Robert McFarland, of 835 Delaware Ave.She is currently in prison on a probation violation.Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered she get both D&A and mental health evaluations, make restitution of $350 for her share, and render 50 hours of community service.She will remain in jail pending a hearing on the probation violation.Paul Charles Walck, 23, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of tampering with evidence. He was arrested on Oct. 20, 2011, for an incident in a wooded area of Dock St., Lansford.He was charged of attempting to dispose of a knife used in an attempted criminal homicide incident. He was not involved in that incident.He is currently serving a nine to 18 months prison term on a statutory sexual assault charge he had previously pleaded guilty.Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a mental health evaluation, and render 50 hours of community service and released on parole. The term runs concurrent with sentence he is currently serving.Jonathan E. Zerby, 21, of Palmerton, pleaded guilty in two pending cases. He entered pleas to one count each of criminal conspiracy-burglary, and theft.He was arrested on the conspiracy count by Palmerton police on Oct. 1, 2011, for an incident at 638 Lehigh Avenue. The second count stems from a Oct. 15, 2011, incident at the same residence. Taken in the first entry was copper piping and in the second various items including a snowblower.On each count Matika sentenced him to time served (79 days) to 23 months in prison. He was also ordered to get a D&A evaluation, zero tolerance for D&A use, make restitution of $200, supply a DNA sample, and have no contact with the victim - Sara Sutliff.Heather Groegler, 27, of Lehighton, entered pleas in three pending cases. She pleaded to two counts of theft and one bad checks.She was charged with the bad check count for an incident involving Ann Marie Melo as the victim filed by Palmerton police. She paid Melo, her landlord at the time, for rent with a check that was later returned.The one theft count stems from a Aug. 14, 2012, incident in which she took jewelry from Lisa German. The second theft incident was for taking a wedding band belonging to Richard German. Those charges were also filed by Palmerton police.Matika placed her on probation for two years on all counts running concurrently. She was also ordered to get a D&A evaluation, zero tolerance imposed on D&A use, make restitution of $700 to Melo, and render 100 hours of community service. It was noted the jewelry taken in the theft cases was returned to the owners.Heather Lynn Cebrosky, 24, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of driving under the influence (DUI), and a summary offense of careless driving. She was arrested on June 14, 2012, along Delaware Avenue in Palmerton, by state police at Lehighton. Given a test, the result was .23BAC.Matika placed her on probation for six months on the DUI count and ordered her to pay a fine of $300, get a D&A evaluation, zero tolerance on D&A use, and render 25 hours of community service. On the careless driving charge she was fined $25 and costs.David Penberth, 42, of Lansford, pleaded to a summary offense of harassment. He was charged for an incident on Sept. 8, 2012, at 315 E. Abbott St., Lansford, with Stephanie Weirich the listed victim. A charge of simple assault was dropped in a plea bargain.Matika imposed a fine of $150 and costs.Christopher Rivera, 19, of Allentown, pleaded to one count each of DUI and driving while under suspension, a summary. He was arrested on March 21, 2012, by state police at Lehighton along SR248 in Franklin Township. Given a test, the result showed the presence of a controlled substance in his system.Matika sentenced him to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, one year license suspension, get a D&A evaluation, and render 25 hours of community service. He was fined $200 and costs on the suspension count.He begins the jail term at 6 p.m. on Feb. 1 and was given credit for one day spent in jail on the charge.Jeremy Wayne Dorshimer, 36, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on March 3, 2012, along Trachsville Hill Road, in Towamensing Township by state police at Lehighton. Given a test, the result was .14BAC.Matika sentenced him to serve five days to six months in jail, a fine of $300, one year license suspension, get a D&A evaluation, and render 50 hours of community service.He will begin the jail term at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, and serve it on consecutive weekends of two, two and one day.Anthony W. Paltanavage, 26, of New Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of criminal trespass, as a felony two. He was charged with his part of the entry at 304 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, on Sept. 5, 2012. The property is owned by Bonnie Vasiliou.Matika deferred sentencing due to a question on restitution to the victim.David Terry Pasternak, 43, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on Aug. 16, 2012, along SR248 in Parryville, by state police at Lehighton. Given a test, the result was .10BAC. He was initially stopped for speeding.Sentencing was deferred.Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs, which average about $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee.