A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Tuesday on drug dealing and drunken driving charges.

Judge Joseph J. Matika sentence James Elmer Serfass Jr., 58, of Lehighton, to serve a total of two to seven years in a state correctional institution on one count of criminal use of a communication facility and three counts each of driving under the influence and driving under suspension-DUI related.Serfass was arrested on the drug count in November 2015 after state police vice unit officers entered a detached garage along Prospect Street in Weissport. The officers entered the garage after Serfass sold drugs to a confidential informant. The buy was set by the CI when he called Serfass' cellphone.The first DUI occurred on Aug. 16, 2015, along Prospect Street; the second on Aug. 3 again also along Prospect Street; and the third on Aug. 17 along Bridge Street at Route 209 in Lehighton. In all three cases Serfass refused a blood test. State police at Lehighton filed the charges. During all three arrests his license was under suspension for a previous DUI conviction.Matika rejected a plea from Serfass to sentence him to a county prison term. Matika said Serfass has 16 adult convictions in criminal matters, adding, "That equates to a career criminal."Serfass had applied for placement in the state's Intermediate Punishment program but it was denied by state officials.Matika also questioned Serfass on his life choices, noting he had two tattoos on him which read, "Live the life you want to live" and "Death is certain, Life is not." He said the tattoos indicate his lifestyle and drug addiction.In addition to the jail term Serfass was ordered to pay a total of $9,500 in fines on the DUI charges and license suspensions totaling six years. He must also get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance on drug and alcohol use, supply a DNA sample, render 150 hours of community service when paroled, and pay court costs of about $1,000.He was given credit for 277 days spent in prison to date on the charges.