A Carbon County man pleaded guilty in the county court on Monday, admitting assaulting his girlfriend for the third time.

He was one of four defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic.

Nesquehoning incident

Erick Ti Whaley,

24, of Nesquehoning, pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault. In a plea deal with the district attorney’s office a felony count of strangulation was dropped. The plea deal was approved by the victim.

Whaley was arrested on May 20 after police responded for a domestic incident. His live-in girlfriend, to which he has two children, was the victim. Whaley admitted to being arrested two prior times for assaulting her.

When asked by Nanovic why he would continue to assault her, Whaley replied, “I just loose it.”

Whaley’s plea was done by video from the county prison where he is currently an inmate on a probation violation charge.

Nanovic sentenced him to serve 3 to one day less 24 months in prison, but ruled it run concurrent with the probation violation sentence he is serving, which is a 6 to 12 month term.

He was also ordered to get a mental health evaluation, supply a DNA sample and when released on parole attend and successfully complete a anger management course.

He was granted continued work release privileges.

Other pleas

John T. Shubeck Jr.,

29, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of persistent disorderly conduct, an added charge. A charge of harassment, communicating lewd and threatening language of gestures was dropped in a plea deal.

He was arrested on Feb. 25 by Lansford police who received a complaint that Shubeck was standing at a school bus stop making obscene type gestures to a juvenile female on the bus. The police report states the girl is involved in a sexual assault incident with Shubeck.

However, at the plea hearing Shubeck and his legal counsel said no such incident is pending against him.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he had no contact with the female juvenile.

Brian Snyder,

46, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of persistent disorderly conduct. A charge of simple assault was dropped in a plea deal. The victim agreed to the deal.

He was arrested on April 3 by Summit Hill police for an incident involving his wife as the victim.

Snyder told the court he is being treated for mental health issues.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a mental health evaluation and continue is current mental health counseling.

Robert Wayne Snyder Jr.,

28, of Lansford, pleaded guilty in two pending cases to one count each of theft and simple assault.

He was arrested on the theft count by Mahoning Township police for an incident on April 26, 2018, when he sold a stolen iPhone to a township resident.

The assault occurred on July 1, 2019, as the result of a domestic incident in Nesquehoning. Snyder was accused of assaulting a family member at a residence along West Catawissa Street.

Nanovic placed him on probation for 2 years on each count, with the terms running concurrently.

He was also ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment, attend and successfully complete a anger management course, supply a DNA sample, continue his mental health counseling and make restitution of $550 to the victim in the theft case.

Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation/parole.