An Albrightsville man was sentenced to a state prison term on Tuesday in Carbon County court in five cases where he previously entered guilty pleas.

He was one of three defendants who were sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika after previously entering guilty pleas.

Ronald Ventura, 34, was sentenced to serve a total of 12 to 24 months in a state correctional institution on five counts including escape, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under suspension - DUI related. In exchange for the plea, the district attorney’s office dropped felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy to PWID were dropped along with counts of possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.

He was arrested on the suspension count on March 16, 2019, by Lehighton police in the 300 block of North First Street. The drug charges stem from incidents on June 4 and 5, 2019, in Lehighton, and Sept. 6 and Oct. 2, 2018, in Lansford.

He was also ordered to get both a drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, render a total of 75 hours of community service when paroled, supply a DNA sample. pay a fine of $1,000 in the suspension case and pay court costs of about $1,000.

He was given credit for a total of 536 days already served in prison on the charges. Although he has served his minimum he will be transferred to a state prison where department of corrections officials will decide when he is paroled.

Other cases

Joseph R. Kosalko Jr., 41, of Summit Hill, was placed on probation for a total of 18 months on two counts of flight to avoid apprehension.

In both cases police attempted a traffic stop him to serve a warrant and he fled. The incidents occurred on Nov. 4, 2017, in Lansford, and Jan. 20, 2020, in Summit Hill.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation.

Daniel Valerio, 26, of Hazleton, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail on a DUI of a controlled substance count, pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for one year, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and render 75 hours of community service. He was given credit for seven days already served on the charge and paroled. On a driving under suspension count he was fined $200.

He was stopped on June 13, 2017, along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township by state police at Fern Ridge.