A Chester, Delaware County, woman was given a sentencing break on Carbon County court on a drug charge for her efforts to turn her life around.

She was one of three defendants who previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges to be sentenced by Judge Joseph J. Matika last week.

Vehicle stop

Mary Vernice McCullough, 27, was placed in the county’s Restrictive Conditions of Probation program (house arrest) on a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, heroin/fentanyl. She was arrested on June 25, 2018, by state police at the Pocono barracks following a traffic stop at the Turnpike Toll Plaza at Route 940 in Kidder Township.

Her attorney, Earl D. Raynor Jr., told the court since her arrest she had gone to counseling for a drug addiction problem and is continuing her efforts to turn her life around. He said she got caught up in a situation in which she was used as a “drug mule” to deliver illegal substances for another person.

She was facing a prison term, in the standard range, of between nine and 16 months.

Matika said he would sentence her in the mitigated range with her placement in the RCP program for three years with the first nine months on monitoring. She was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, render 100 hours of community service and supply a DNA sample. Her supervision will be handled by Delaware County probation office.

Other cases

Milo J. Vincent Daddino, 27, of Palmerton, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension on a DUI charge. He was placed on probation for a year on two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, concurrent with the DUI count. He was given credit for five days already served on the DUI charge and paroled.

He was arrested on the drug counts on March 19 and April 4, 2019, by state police at Lehighton and Palmerton police, respectively. The DUI of a controlled substance occurred on Feb. 3, 2019, along Route 248 filed by state police at Lehighton.

He was also ordered to render a total of 50 hours of community service.

He also entered a plea to another DUI of a controlled substance count. He was arrested on April 18, 2019, by state police at Lehighton along Cedar Street in Bowmanstown. Sentencing in that case was deferred.

It was noted that Daddino is facing pending, more serious charges, including another DUI count. He said he is attempting to get into an inpatient rehabilitation program.

Ann Lutz, 54, of Nesquehoning, was placed on probation for a year on two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and fined $150 on a charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

She was arrested on the first drug count on May 5, 2017, by Lansford police along Edgemont Road. She was originally charged with two counts of DUI and also possession of a controlled substance, which were dropped. The second incident occurred on Feb. 16, 2018, filed by Nesquehoning police along West High Street.

Lutz is a former police officer who told the court she experienced trauma in her life when her parents were killed in a crash and she turned to drugs.

Matika also ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

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