Ten defendants in pending criminal cases entered guilty pleas in the county court on Thursday before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Theft incidentsKaitlin Rose Helmer, 22, of Beaver Meadows, entered guilty pleas to two counts of receiving stolen property for two separate incidents but the same victim each time.Borough police said Helmer entered the J&N Exxon station at 104 E. Broad St., on July 10 and then again on July 11, and both times taking money from the lottery funds cash box. Helmer was a former employee at the business.Helmer told the court she went to Florida to an inpatient rehab program to address a drug addiction problem. She said she has been drug free for the past nine months but continues to fight her addiction.Matika placed her on probation for a year on each count, running concurrently, and ordered her to make total restitution to the victim of $450, get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, render 50 hours of community service and stay out of the store.Other casesRobert Lee Clifford III, 23, of Forty Fort, Luzerne County, pleaded to one count of criminal mischief. A charge of institutional vandalism was dropped in a plea bargain.Clifford was arrested on Oct. 24, 2016, by Nesquehoning police for causing damages to his cell at the county prison.He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to make restitution to the county for $226.20 in damages.Clifford remains an inmate in the prison facing other criminal charges.Paul Joseph Palisoc, 25, of Kresgeville, pleaded to one count of retail theft.He was arrested by Mahoning Township police for an incident at the Walmart store on Jan. 25. He took merchandise valued at $62.54, which was recovered.Matika imposed a fine of $150 and costs.Mark William Fitzsimmons, 39, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of persistent disorderly conduct. A charge of simple assault was dropped in a plea bargain.He was arrested by Lansford police on June 21, 2016, in the area of 135 W. Ridge St., Apt. 1, with a female victim. Police initially responded to a report of a man and woman fighting.Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation, continue his current counseling for drug and alcohol and render 50 hours of community service.Juan Torres Jr., 35, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of criminal conspiracy - retail theft. He was charged by Mahoning Township police for an incident on Feb. 7 at the Walmart store where he and two co-defendants took $1,707.42 worth of merchandise.Sentencing was deferred as Torres, currently an inmate in the Berks County prison in Reading, has criminal counts pending in that county.Clair Dolores Wo, 33, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of retail theft. She was charged by Mahoning Township police for an incident at the Giant Market on March 8, 2016. Wo is currently an inmate in the county prison serving a probation violation term which runs to June 19.Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to make restitution to Giant for $46.04, render 50 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and stay out of Giant. The term runs concurrent with her probation sentence.Alaina Jayne Jacobs, 24, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of retail theft. She was arrested on Nov. 2, 2016, by Mahoning Township police at the Walmart store. She took items valued at $49.76.Sentencing was deferred.Ian Curtis, 30, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property. He was arrested on Feb. 10 by Nesquehoning police at the Kovatch Mobile Equipment facility for stealing various items where he was an employee.Sentencing was deferred so Curtis could apply for placement in the Intermediate Punishment Program - house arrest.Tyler Jordan Frantz, 26, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of fraud/altered/forged/counterfeit registration. He was arrested on Dec. 28, 2016, by Lansford police along Patterson Street following a vehicle stop. He had an inspection sticker on the vehicle he was driving which belonged to a different vehicle.He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service.Carlos Jesus Rodriguez, 21, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of criminal trespass, as a felony two. He was arrested on April 11, 2016, by Lansford police for his part in entering a unoccupied residence at 332 E. Bertsch St. He was one of four charged in connection in the entry in which various items were removed. He denied removing any of the items but admitted entering the structure.Matika placed him on probation for 18 months and ordered he supply a DNA sample, render 75 hours of community service and have no contact with the owner of the property.Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.