A Palmerton woman pleaded guilty in Carbon County court on Tuesday to two driving under the influence charges.

She was one of 12 defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Two counts

Karen McIntosh Ackerman,

54, pleaded to one count of DUI for an incident on Feb. 7, 2019, along Route 209 in Towamensing Township, filed by state police at Lehighton. The second arrest occurred on Nov. 12, 2017, by Lehighton police along East Street. In that case she was previously placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program for first-time offenders but was revoked from it for the Feb. 7 arrest. She also pleaded in the February case to driving while under suspension - DUI related.

On the ARD case she was placed in the restrictive condition probation program (house arrest) for six months with 15 days on electronic monitoring, a fine of $1,000, one-year license suspension and 25 hours of community service.

On the second DUI she was placed in the program for six months, consecutive to the first count, with the first 15 days on electronic monitoring (total of 30 days), a fine of $1,000 and another one-year license suspension.

On the suspension count he was sentenced to serve 90 days in the program, concurrent with the other cases, and pay another fine of $1,000.

Drug case

Steven M. Craigie,

36, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to two counts of possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanors. In exchange for the plea a felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped.

He was arrested on Jan. 5, 2019, by Jim Thorpe police as part of an undercover operation with agents of the state attorney general’s office in the parking lot of the Dollar General Store in Nesquehoning.

Matika placed him on probation for a year on each count, running consecutively, and ordered he render a total of 100 hours of community service and get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment.

Flees police

Robert Borelli,

53, of White Haven, pleaded to one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police. The charge was downgraded to a misdemeanor 2 from a felony 3 in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office, which also dropped five other counts.

Borelli was arrested along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township on June 11 by state police at Fern Ridge, who attempted to stop him for speeding, going 100 mph in a 70 zone.

Borelli is currently an inmate in the county prison.

Matika sentenced him to serve one to 18 months in prison with credit for 30 days already served, and paroled. He was also ordered to render 50 hours of community service.

Other pleas

Amber Lee Yeanish,

47, of Slatington, pleaded in two pending cases to counts of DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested for DUI on Aug. 8, 2017, by state police at Lehighton, along Circle Drive in Franklin Township. She refused a test. The drug charge stems from an incident on Nov. 14, 2019, filed by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Fireline Road in Lower Towamensing Township. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

Sentencing was deferred so she can obtain a comprehensive drug and alcohol evaluation and apply for placement in the house arrest program.

William C. Ahner,

43, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of disposition of vehicle or vehicle part with altered vehicle identification number.

He was arrested on March 27 by state police at Lehighton along Indian Mountain Road in Franklin Township, where he was found with a 2000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which was originally reported stolen in Durham, North Carolina.

Sentencing was deferred so he can apply for the house arrest program.

Dennis Alex Dikowski,

72, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count each of possessing, buy, etc. boat without hull ID number and destroy, remove, etc. boat’s hull ID number. He was arrested by park rangers at Beltzville State Park, in Franklin Township, where he was observed along Pohopoco Drive towing a boat. Upon inspection the violations were observed.

Dikowski is currently an inmate in the Berks County prison where he appeared for his plea hearing via video.

Matika placed him on probation for a year on each count, running concurrently, and ordered he supply a DNA sample.

Michele Lee Amon,

45, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of theft. She was charged by state police at Lehighton for an incident on May 12 in Kidder Township, where she admitted stealing a pack of cigarettes from another female.

She was placed on probation for six months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service, make restitution of $8.77 and have no contact with the victim.

Barbara Josephine Blake,

59, of Sharon Hill, Delaware County, pleaded to one count of disorderly conduct, as a summary offense. In exchange for the plea, a charge of false alarms was dropped.

She was arrested by Kidder Township police for an incident on Jan. 23, 2016, at the Quality Inn in Lake Harmony. She was a guest at the inn and pulled a fire alarm box inside the inn for no reason.

Matika imposed a fine of $150.

Kylie Barrett,

28, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of disorderly conduct, a summary offense. The charge was added to the original arrest complaint with a charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana dropped.

She was arrested on Feb. 29 by park rangers at Beltzville State Park in Franklin Township along Old Mill Road.

Matika imposed a fine of $150.

Juan A. Berrios,

43, of Bethlehem, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on April 10, 2019, by Lansford police along Delaware Avenue in Palmerton following a traffic stop. The arrest was part of a joint operation with agents of the state attorney general’s office.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service.

Sara J. Rex,

43, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on April 24, 2019, by state police at Lehighton along Route 209 in Franklin Township following a traffic stop.

She was placed on probation for six months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service.

Brian David Neff,

65, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia with a charge of possession of a controlled substance dropped in a plea deal. He was arrested on Aug. 22, 2019, by Lansford police.

He was sentenced to time-served (107 days) to one year in jail and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 25 hours of community service.

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