A Lansford man was sentenced to a county prison term Thursday after previously pleading guilty to bringing a controlled substance into the county prison.

He was one of five defendants who had previously entered guilty pleas who were sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika.Marijuana cigaretteGeorge S. Heffelfinger Jr., 39, was sentenced to serve six to 12 months in prison on a charge of possession of a controlled substance-marijuana.Heffelfinger was arrested by Nesquehoning police for an incident on Feb. 28 when a corrections officer at the county prison found the defendant in the bathroom area with a marijuana cigarette. He was with another inmate at the time.Heffelfinger is currently in the county prison serving a nine-month term for a probation violation. That terms runs to November.Heffelfinger told Matika, "Most of my problems lately are because of poor decisions." Matika noted that Heffelfinger has an extensive prior criminal record and told him any violation of the law by him means a prison term, possibly in the state system.Matika did give him a break and ran the sentence concurrent with the probation violation. The new sentence started Thursday.Heffelfinger was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance imposed on D&A use, and render 50 hours of community service when released on parole.Thankful for arrestMisty Hyneman, 31, of Lansford, was sentenced to a county prison term on charges of criminal conspiracy-to manufacture a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and driving under the influence.Matika sentenced her to serve one day less 12 to one day less 24 months on the conspiracy charge, 90 days to five years in jail on the DUI count, and probation for a year on the possession charge, with all terms running concurrently. The prison term will be followed by three years of probation.Hyneman read a letter she had written for the court in which she said being arrested and jailed saved her life.She told the court she had a severe drug addiction habit. "I consider myself lucky (to be arrested)." She said she has been getting what counseling was available to her. She added, "I'm happy to be alive."Matika said Hyneman's day in court was "a long time coming." The sentencing was continued several times for her to seek help and undergo a D&A evaluation. He added it was now up to her to follow through with her convictions to stay off drugs.Matika also ordered her to get both D&A and mental health evaluations, supply a DNA sample, zero tolerance for D&A use, and render 100 hours of community service when released. On the DUI charge she was fined $1,500 and her license was suspended for 18 months.She was given credit for 440 days already spent in jail on the charges and was paroled.She was arrested on the conspiracy count for an incident on April 25, 2013, by agents of the Attorney General's office in the area of 346 W. Patterson St., Lansford, with the drug methamphetamine involved.She was arrested on the possession count on Feb. 14, 2013, by the AG office at the same location in Lansford. The DUI charge stemmed from a Feb. 14, 2013, incident along Route 209 filed by Mahoning Township police. She was DUI of a controlled substance.Other casesOther defendants sentenced by Matika included:John V. Wuest, 37, of Weatherly, was placed on probation for a year on a charge of simple assault.He was arrested on Aug. 12, 2013, at 658 E. Main St., Weatherly, for assaulting Nicole Miller, following a domestic dispute involving his ex-wife.Wuest underwent a mental health evaluation, which indicated his actions the day of the incident were more of him losing control of his emotions than any mental health issues.Matika also ordered him to have no contact with Miller and render 50 hours of community service.Ervin Jonathan Fetherman, 22, of Allentown, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail on a DUI charge. He was arrested on Sept. 2, 2013, along Blakeslee Boulevard by Mahoning Township police. A test showed the presence of a controlled substance.Fetherman said he had entered an inpatient D&A program and spent 62 days in a facility and continues counseling. He has two other DUI counts pending, one each in Monroe and Carbon counties.Matika also imposed a fine of $1,000, one-year license suspension, get a D&A evaluation, zero tolerance for D&A use, and render 25 hours of community service. He was given credit for three days spent in the rehab program and parole.On a charge of driving under suspension, he was fined $200.Christopher A. Reedy, 25, of Schuylkill Haven, was sentenced to the state Intermediate Punishment Program. He previously had undergone an evaluation by the state correctional system and was approved for the program.The program runs for two years, during which Reedy will spend seven months in a state prison, with the remaining 17 months spent in various drug rehabilitation programs.If he fails to successfully complete the program, he must return to the county court for resentencing with no credit given for the time spent in the IPP.Reedy was sentenced on a charge of retail theft. He was arrested at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township for taking a television.It was noted he has a pending retail theft in Schuylkill County. The court in Schuylkill has also agreed to his IPP placement.Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs, which average about $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.