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Kunkletown man gets prison term on drug-dealing charge

A Kunkletown man was sentenced to a county prison term on Friday after previously pleading guilty to a drug-dealing charge.

Judge Steven R. Serfass sentenced Rock Eagle Acevedo, 35, to serve six to one day less 24 months in the county prison on a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, heroin.

In pronouncing the sentence, Serfass told Acevedo that under state sentencing guidelines, in the standard range, he could have imposed a state prison term, but because of the efforts the defendant made in addressing drug addiction issues, he would keep him in the county jail.

Acevedo was arrested after agents of the state Attorney General’s office and members of the county drug task force executed a search warrant at a home in the 1100 block of Broadview Drive in Jim Thorpe on March 7. The police report indicated that the drug task force members received information that Acevedo was dealing drugs out of the residence. Found in the home were 750 packets of fentanyl, marijuana and handguns.

Before obtaining the search warrant, police conducted surveillance and spoke with confidential informants about possible drug activity at the Broadview Drive address and another address on Center Avenue.

When police searched the Broadview Drive address, they allegedly found 610 packets containing what they believe to be heroin or fentanyl in the master bedroom bathroom. Another 140 packets were found in the kitchen. The packets were stamped “Playboy” with a rabbit logo. Many were sorted into packs of 50, which is known as a “brick,” police said.

Police also located 21.7 grams of marijuana, a hash brownie and THC oil.

Inside the master bedroom closet, police found two firearms - a .45-caliber and a .22-caliber. A .38-caliber was located in another closet.

Officers also located $1,105 in a dresser in the master bedroom.

Acevedo was originally charged with eight criminal counts including three counts of a person not to possess a firearm and one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of marijuana. In a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office, those charges were dropped.

Defense Attorney Matthew J. Rapa told the court since Acevedo’s arrest, he turned his life around. He said he spent 22 days in an inpatient rehabilitation program and also continued with outpatient counseling. He said drugs got Acevedo into the situation that brought him before the court.

Acevedo said he got caught up in drug use, which led to his criminal activity.

Serfass said from what he read about the defendant, Acevedo was not a bad guy. He said he considered all options for the sentencing and said a prison term was warranted considering the seriousness of the charge and its effect on the community.

In addition to the prison term, Serfass ordered Acevedo to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and render 100 hours of community service.

He was to begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on Sept. 18 and was given credit of 38 days, representing time in the rehab program and jail. He was granted work release privileges.