A Carbon County man who admitted scamming an elderly woman out of over $50,000 by telling her he needed the cash for medical bills due to having cancer, was sentenced Monday to a state prison term.

Thomas Peter Bertalan Jr., 51, of Lehighton, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve 24 to 60 months in a state correctional institution and make restitution of $50,323 to his 84-year-old victim. Bertalan previously pleaded to one count of theft, a felony three, in the case. At the same proceeding he also pleaded to a driving under the influence charge in an unrelated matter.Lehighton police charged Bertalan with scamming the woman 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 told the court, "I'm sorry for the people I hurt. I really am."District Attorney Jean A. Engler said it was a particularly sad case where an elderly woman was taken advantage of.Serfass agreed that it was a sad case, noting that Bertalan told the victim he had cancer when he did not. Bertalan claimed he wanted to pay the woman back, but Serfass said since his arrest on the charges, he has made one payment to the victim for $130.Bertalan is also facing a revocation of probation count in Northampton County and has other cases pending.Serfass also ordered him to supply a DNA sample, and render 200 hours of community service when paroled. He must also pay court costs of about $1,000.On the DUI count Serfass sentenced him to serve 10 days to 24 months in prison, a fine of $500 and one-year license suspension and another 100 hours of community service. Bertalan was arrested on Nov. 24, 2016, by Lehighton police along Bridge Street. He submitted to a blood test, which revealed a 0.15 BAC. The jail term is concurrent with the theft count.Bertalan, an inmate in the county prison on the instant charges and those pending in Northampton, was given credit for 180 days spent in prison on the charges.