A Palmerton man was placed in a special state prison program on Monday after previously pleading guilty to three burglaries, drunken driving and driving under suspension - DUI related.

Stephen Michael Holmes, 32, was placed in the state Intermediate Punishment program for two years by Judge Steven R. Serfass. The program details include Holmes serving about seven months in prison, then being placed in an intense inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation program and finally placed in a halfway house to finish out the term.If he fails to complete the program or is kicked out of it, he would be brought back to Carbon County and be sentenced by Serfass.Holmes also faces a big restitution bill.Holmes admitted to entries that occurred around Aug. 9, 2016. Holmes was originally charged with 30 criminal counts.State police at Lehighton arrested Holmes while he was driving a utility task vehicle around Hahns Dairy Road and adjoining roads in Lower Towamensing Township.Holmes was traveling west on Hahns Dairy Road and turned right onto Walnut Road, where he dumped the vehicle and ran into a heavily wooded area.Troopers chased him into a field, where the troopers caught up with Holmes, took him into custody, and transported him to Palmerton Hospital for a blood test, which revealed a controlled substance in his system.Holmes was then transported to the state police barracks and admitted to committing between 30-40 burglaries in the area, including stealing the Honda ATV he was driving during a burglary along Strohl Valley Road June, 5-8, 2016.In the burglary along Strohl Valley Road, Holmes entered a cabin and caused damages inside the residence while consuming food.The owners of the properties involved spoke at the guilty plea proceeding and again Monday and told Serfass that electronics and other items were damaged, but that was the least of their concerns.Reading from a victim's impact statement submitted to the district attorney's office, and speaking directly at Holmes, one victim said Holmes damaged the property around the cabin with the ATV he stole and they considered it "sacred ground" because their son died in an accident on the property about two years earlier.The victim also said she felt that Holmes was in and out of the property for some time before being caught.The victim told of a strip of nails she claimed Holmes placed across an access road which caused damages to their vehicle and another vehicle.Another victim said she lost many antiques, handed down to her by her mother and grandmother, that were never recovered. She told Holmes, "I can never forgive you."Prior to the victims speaking, Holmes apologized for his actions and blamed a drug addiction problem."I'm sorry to anybody I hurt out there. I'm ashamed of myself," Holmes said. He added, "My addiction took over my life. I hit rock bottom."Serfass said he appreciates the concerns of the victim's in the case and he knows that the incidents have affected them far beyond any monetary concerns. But he added that the state IP program is the appropriate disposition of the matter.Holmes' sentencing proceeding was conducted by video conference. Holmes is currently an inmate at the state correctional institution at Camp Hill, where he was evaluated for the state IP program.Serfass ordered total restitution of $47,180.26 to the victims and insurance companies. He was also ordered to pay a fine $2,500 on the DUI count and $1,000 on the suspension charge with an 18-month license suspension. He must supply a DNA sample and pay court costs of about $1,000.Defense counsel Brian Collins said his client is challenging some of the restitution figures submitted. Serfass said he would schedule a restitution hearing within 30 days to hear Holmes' challenges.