A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Thursday after previously pleading guilty to drug counts and other charges.

Kyle Nalesnik, 27, of Nesquehoning, was sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika to serve a total of 10 to 36 months in a state correctional institution followed by two years of probation.Matika rejected a request from defense attorney Paul J. Levy of the public defenders office to place Nalesnik in the county prison.Matika told Nalesnik, an admitted drug addict, "There is a need for help, undoubtedly." Matika said the kind of help Nalesnik needs could only be found in the state prison system.Nalesnik had pleaded to counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, and retail theft.Nalesnik said he stole to support his drug habit and claimed he started using alcohol at age 8 and then graduated to drug use.In the possession with intent to deliver case, Nalesnik was arrested by agents of the state Attorney General's office on June 26, 2013, after he sold what was supposed to be heroin to a confidential informant. The substance he sold the CI turned out to be pie crust.The possession count stems from a Feb. 14, 2014, incident in the area of 500 W. Bertsch St., filed by Lansford police; the paraphernalia incident occurred on Jan. 30 in Lansford in the area of 146 W. Patterson St.; the retail theft occurred on Feb. 6, 2014, at the Turkey Hill Market in Lansford; and the receiving charge stems from an incident at the Rite Aid pharmacy in Lansford.Nalesnik failed to appear for his last sentencing proceeding and had a bench warrant issued for his arrest. He turned himself in to authorities several days ago.He told Matika, "I'm just reaching out for help."In addition to the jail term and the probation period, Matika ordered Nalesnik to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance imposed for D&A use, render a total of 120 hours of community service when released on parole, make restitution to Rite Aid for $79.99, supply a DNA sample, and pay court costs of about $1,000.He was given credit for a total of nine days spent in jail on the charges.