A Carbon County man admitted on Thursday morning in the county court to scamming an elderly woman out of more than $50,000.

Thomas Peter Bertalan, 51, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of theft, as a felony three, before Judge Steven R. Serfass.Lehighton police charged Bertalan with scamming an 84-year-old woman of $50,323 over a short period of time in 2016.A neighbor of the victim notified police of something going on with her friend and that the victim was giving large amounts of money to a person named Christopher Ventelli.Through the course of the investigation police learned that Bertalan contacted the woman, using the name of Ventelli, telling her he had cancer and needed money for medical treatments and for legal fees. This continued for a period of time.Police charged Bertalan on or about Sept. 23, 2016. Police confronted Bertalan and he admitted to taking the money from the woman. The police report did not indicate if he knew the victim before contacting her or how he got to know of her in the first place.Bertalan, according to sentencing guidelines, faces a standard range sentence, in the minimum range, of anywhere between 21 and 27 months up to seven years, which would mean a state prison term.Bertalan also pleaded to a charge of driving under the influence in an unrelated matter. On Nov. 24, 2016, Lehighton police stopped Bertalan along Bridge Street for erratic driving. He submitted to a blood test, which revealed a 0.15 BAC.Serfass deferred sentencing because Bertalan must obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation for the DUI charge.Bertalan is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.