A Lehighton man was sentenced to a county prison term on Monday in Carbon County court on a drug-dealing charge.

Todd M. Messinger, 33, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve six to one day less 24 months in jail. He previously pleaded to a count of criminal use of a communication facility, a felony 3.

Messinger was arrested as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation by the Lehighton police and county drug task force. According to police, Messinger was identified by a confidential informant as a person dealing heroin/fentanyl in the county.

Police entered a home on Aug. 17, 2018, along North Second Street, Lehighton, and found illegal substances and Messinger.

Since his arrest, Messinger said he has addressed his drug addiction problem. He spent 50 days in an inpatient rehabilitation program. His defense counsel, attorney Paul J. Levy, of the public defender’s office, said the change in Messinger since the time he was arrested until now is “tremendous.”

Messinger told Serfass, “I am clean for three years.”

Serfass said he would take into consideration what Messinger has done to turn his life around, but could not ignore his extensive prior record in imposing a prison term.

Messinger was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, render 100 hours of community service when paroled, supply a DNA sample, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.

He was given credit for 64 days, 50 in the inpatient program and 14 in prison. He will begin the jail term at 6 p.m. on April 16 and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.