A Monroe County woman pleaded guilty in Carbon County court on Tuesday to a drug count and endangering charge.

She was one of 13 defendants in pending cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Penn Forest

Desiree Louise Kaminitsky, 33, of Blakeslee, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child.

She was charged on April 4, 2019, by state police at Fern Ridge following a traffic stop along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township. During the stop police conducted a vehicle search and found methamphetamine. A 6-year-old girl was in the car.

Sentencing was deferred because Kaminitsky is scheduled to enter an inpatient rehabilitation program run by the Salvation Army.

Two counts

James Clayton Silvers, 42, of Ashfield, pleaded guilty in two pending cases to one count each of harassment, as a summary offense, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was charged with harassment on Sept. 25, 2020, by state police at Lehighton, who responded to a residence in East Penn Township for a report of an altercation and assault. A male victim was transported to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest.

In exchange for the plea the district attorney’s office dropped a felony count of aggravated assault. Defense attorney Matthew J. Mottola, of the public defender’s office, said Silvers has a history of mental health issues. He said his client spent 34 days in a hospital after the incident and is on medication.

On the drug count he was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and render 50 hours of community service.

On the harassment count he was fined $300.

Flight to avoid

Christina Smith, 37, of Lehighton, pleaded guilty to one count of flight to avoid apprehension.

She was charged on Oct. 19, 2020, by Lehighton police. Police saw her driving a vehicle and knew there was a warrant for her arrest. Officers attempted to stop her but she continued to drive. She later pulled over and was taken into custody.

Serfass put her on probation for 18 months and ordered her to supply a DNA sample and render 75 hours of community service.

Two cases

Jason Shemansik, 48, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded in two pending cases to one count each of harassment by communication and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lehighton police charged him with harassment on May 27, 2020. Police received a complaint from a woman that Shemansik was sending unwanted text messages to her and he was previously told to stop doing it. Summit Hill police filed drug charges on Nov. 13, 2020. Police found the paraphernalia when they were serving a warrant on him.

On the harassment count Serfass placed him on probation for a year, and on the drug charge six months probation with the terms running consecutively.

He was also ordered to have no contact with the woman in the harassment case, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render a total of 75 hours of community service.

Other pleas

Michele Marie Graver, 62, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of tampering with evidence.

She was charged on Oct. 13, 2016, by state police at Lehighton when troopers responded a residence in Franklin Township to a report of stolen firearms. A man said firearms were stolen from him and identified Graver as the person who took them.

Troopers went to her residence and found the weapons.

Serfass sentenced her to serve one to 18 months in prison and ordered her to render 75 hours of community service when paroled.

She was given credit for 20 days already served and will begin serving the remaining 10 days on April 26 at 9 a.m.

Arthur Scott Hanman, 52, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count each of simple assault and public drunkenness, a summary offense.

He was charged on June 11, 2020, when Jim Thorpe police responded to the Navigation Building along Broadway for a report of a man attempting to enter an apartment in the building. The resident said Hanman barged into her apartment. She fled and called police. His plea was entered via video from the county prison where he is an inmate.

Sentencing was deferred.

Michael Charles Strohl, 36, of Weissport, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

State police at Lehighton charged him following a traffic stop on Sept. 30, 2020. He was a passenger in the vehicle. Troopers found the paraphernalia in a backpack Strohl had on him.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 50 hour of community service.

The term runs concurrent with a probation sentence his serving.

Christopher T. Velazquez, 33, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of trespass by motor vehicle, a summary offense.

He was charged on Aug. 12, 2019, by police of the Reading & Northern Railroad, for placing a golf cart on tracks of the railroad in the Jim Thorpe area.

He was fined $100 and ordered to make restitution to the railroad for damages of $1,200. The money was paid before the start of the proceeding, as part of a plea deal with the district attorney’s office and the victim.

Ethan Silas Comer, 55, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police, as a misdemeanor.

Lehighton police charged him on May 4, 2020 after they responded to a report of an erratic driver along Route 443. Police attempted to stop the vehicle but Comer refused and continued at speeds of 35 mph and less. Police finally got him to stop.

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

The term runs concurrent with Comer’s current placement in the Accelerated Rehabilitation probation program.

Robert Werner, 39, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of criminal mischief.

Mahoning Township police charged him on Aug. 25, 2020, after they received a complaint from a resident along Jamestown Drive. She saw Werner outside her bathroom window and yelled at him. He left and she called police. Police said they found damage to the screen on the window.

Sentencing was deferred. His plea was entered via video from the county prison where he is an inmate.

Tara Lynn Haydt, 38, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property, a misdemeanor.

Lehighton police charged her on Aug. 27, 2020, she cashed a fraudulent withdrawal slip at the Community Bank for $4,500.

Serfass placed her on probation for two years and ordered her to make restitution to the bank for $4,500 and render 100 hours of community service.

Mark Duffy, 37, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of simple assault.

Lehighton police charged him Aug. 28, 2020 for an assault of a man during a fight along First Street.

He was sentenced to time-served (236 days) to one day less 24 months and ordered to get both mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations, no contact with the victim, render 100 hours of community service and attend and successfully complete an anger management course. His plea was done via video from the county prison.

David Lee Knauft Jr., 37, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to a summary offense of drivers required to be licensed, which was added to the original complaint. A charge of theft was dropped in a plea bargain with the DA’s office.

He was charged on May 27, 2020, by Jim Thorpe police following a vehicle stop.

He was fined $200.

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