Five defendants in drug-related cases entered guilty pleas in Carbon County court on Thursday before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Vehicle stopVito William Molle III, 44, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In exchange for the plea more serious charge of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver were dropped by the district attorney's office.Molle was arrested by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop on Nov. 22, 2013, along Alum Street in Lehighton. Police found an needle and 73 bags of heroin in the vehicle.Molle is currently serving a one day less 12 to one day less 24 month prison term in an unrelated case. He also has another drug case pending.Matika placed him on probation for a year, consecutive to his current sentence, and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance imposed in D&A use, and render 50 hours of community service when released on parole.Other pleasOther defendants entering pleas included:Christopher Michael Frantz, 28, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In a plea bargain a charge of driving under the influence was dropped by the DA's office.Frantz was arrested on Aug. 31, 2013, by state police following a traffic stop along Union Hill Road, in Franklin Township. Found in the vehicle was a scale used for drugs.Matika placed him on probation for a year, which is consecutive to a probation violation sentence he is currently serving in Lehigh County, get a D&A evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.Eric Michael Williams, 24, of Effort, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on July 3 along Pohopoco Drive in Franklin Township by state police at Lehighton following a vehicle stop.Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a D&A evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.Trevor Thomas Samu, 25, of Belvidere, New Jersey, and formerly of Nazareth, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on June 5 in the area of Route 903 and Olympian Way, Jim Thorpe, by state police at Lehighton following a vehicle stop.Matika placed him on probation for six months and ordered he render 25 hours of community service. On a summary motor vehicle code violation he was fined $25 and costs.Maximilian Alexander Wing, 27, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on Nov. 13, 2014, in the area of 300 Center Ave. by Jim Thorpe police.He was fined $300.Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.