A Palmerton man admitted in Carbon County court on Tuesday to making threats to his former girlfriend.

He was one of 19 defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Lehighton incident

Randy F. Gombert, 46, pleaded to one count of terroristic threats. He was charged by Lehighton police for threatening his ex-girlfriend at her residence on Sept. 15, 2020. Police said he came to the home with a piece of two-by-four wood and threatened to beat her to death with the wood. He then threw the piece of wood down and left.

Gombert apologized for his actions and said he wished it never happened.

The victim, however, said that Gombert is continuing to harass her through other people. She claimed that he had made contact with a male friend she is currently seeing and has also made contact with other friends and family members. Serfass said he had to abide by the plea entered and the sentencing range for that plea, which calls for probation.

Serfass placed Gombert on probation for five years and ordered he get a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample, attend and successfully complete an anger management course and have no contact with the victim or her male friend and family members.

Other pleas

Ludwig T. Auch-Schwelk, 47, of Albrightsville, pleaded in four pending cases to one count each of DUI of a controlled substance, access device fraud, theft by deception and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on the DUI charge on Feb. 2, 2019; on the access device case on Feb. 11, 2020, using another person’s credit card; theft count on Sept. 5, 2019, involving a check; and drug count on Dec. 28, 2020, when a warrant was served on him. All the arrests were by state police at Fern Ridge.

Sentencing was deferred. He is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

Steven Edward Hayes, 28, of Lewistown, Mifflin County, pleaded to one count of firearms not to be carried without a license. He was arrested on Oct. 27, 2019, by Lansford police following an incident at the Penn Mart on Patterson Street. Police responded to the business for a report of a man asleep at a table. Hayes was found in possession of a pistol and had no license for it.

Serfass told him under state sentencing guidelines, he is facing a minimum prison sentence of between six and 14 months up to a maximum of 84 months.

Sentencing was deferred.

Jason Rockie Bracero,Bobbie Jo Simmons, 40, of Weissport, pleaded to one count of resisting arrest. She was charged for an incident on Dec. 10, 2020, filed by Weissport police. Police observed Simmons and knew there was a warrant for her arrest. She attempted to flee and then struggled with officers when being taken into custody.

Serfass noted it was not Simmons’ first time resisting police.

He sentenced her to serve two to 12 months in prison and when paroled render 100 hours of community service.

She will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on July 6.

Christopher Jon Schnell Jr., 24, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of obstruction in the administration of law. Nesquehoning police charged Schnell with failure to register as required under the provisions of Megan’s Law as a sexual offender. In a plea bargain with the DA’s office a felony 3 count of fail to register was dropped.

Sentencing was deferred.

Errol Hoogendoorn, 54, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of simple assault. He was arrested on Jan. 17 by state police at Fern Ridge at his residence as a result of a domestic incident with his wife as the victim.

He was placed on probation for 18 months and ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, attend and successfully complete a anger management course, supply a DNA sample and render 75 hours of community service.

Joseph James Bennett, 30, of Lehighton, pleaded to a summary offense of disorderly conduct. He was arrested on Jan. 1, 2020, by Lehighton police following a traffic stop. He became uncooperative and unruly with the officer. In a plea bargain charges of a felony 2 count of aggravated assault on a police officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest were dropped.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300.

Jeffrey M. Lemay, 37, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, pleaded to a summary motor vehicle code offense of driving with an invalid inspection sticker. He was originally charged with seven counts, including DUI. All were dropped in a plea deal except the inspection sticker count.

Serfass imposed the mandatory fine of $25 and costs.

Denise A. Crooker, 66, of Effort, pleaded to one count of retail theft. She was arrested by state police at Fern Ridge on Oct. 21, 2020, at the General Dollar Store in Penn Forest Township, where she stole items valued at $132.30.

Sentencing was deferred so she can apply for the house arrest program.

Daniel A. Williams, 46, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of disorderly conduct, as a summary offense. He was arrested on Aug. 15, 2020, by Jim Thorpe police. Police were called to a residence along Center Avenue. The victim said a package was stolen from his front porch. Williams admitted taking the package but returning it a short time later. In a plea deal a charge of theft was dropped.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300.

William C. Jones III, 26, of Slatington, pleaded to one count of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Jan. 6, 2019, by Palmerton police along Delaware Avenue. He is currently an inmate in the Northampton County prison.

Sentencing was deferred so he can obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Michael Thomas Adams, 41, of Lansford, pleaded to a summary offense of harassment. He was arrested on June 25, 2020, by Summit Hill police at a residence along East Ludlow Street. Police responded to a domestic incident involving a female victim Adams once had a relationship. It was noted the female had a protection from abuse order in place.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300.

Katherine Vanessa Tetzner-Hernandez, 32, of Whitehall, pleaded to one count of disorderly conduct as a summary offense. The charge was added to the original complaint. In a plea deal two drug counts were dropped - possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on March 15, 2020, by state police at Lehighton, following a traffic stop at Route 209 and Bridge Street in Lehighton.

Serfass imposed a fine of $100 and costs.

Susan C. Garr, 61, of Kunkletown, pleaded to DUI. She was arrested on Oct. 11, 2020, by state police at Fern Ridge along Route 534 in Penn Forest Township. A test revealed a 0.24 BAC.

She was sentenced to serve two days in jail followed by 28 days on home electronic monitoring and five months total in the Restrictive Conditions of Probation program, house arrest.

She begins the jail term at 9 a.m. on July 9.

Austin Scott Hinkle, 19, of Summit Hill, pleaded to a summary offense of disorderly conduct. He was arrested on Sept. 1, 2019, following a vehicle stop by state police at Fern Ridge. In a plea bargain, DUI charges were dropped.

Serfass imposed a fine of $300.

Jason Mika, 40, of Wilkes-Barre, pleaded to one count of driving while blood alcohol content was greater than 0.02 percent while license is suspended. He was arrested on Aug. 31, 2020, by state police at Lehighton along Grape Street in Weissport. He was found slumped over the wheel of his vehicle with the engine running and the vehicle in gear.

Sentencing was deferred.

Thomas Paul Rehl Jr., 54, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of criminal mischief. He was arrested on Oct. 20, 2020, by Lehighton police. Police said the incident happened at the Sunoco station along Route 443 where Rehl got into an altercation with another male and kicked the victim’s car door causing damages.

Sentencing was deferred due to a question concerning restitution due.

Danton R. Guinther, 64, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of harassment. He was arrested on May 17, 2020, by Jim Thorpe police for an incident in which the defendant wrote obscenities on a trailer at a camping resort in the borough.

Serfass placed him on probation for six months.

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