Three defendants in pending drug-related cases entered guilty pleas in Carbon County court on Tuesday.

Judge Steven R. Serfass accepted the pleas.

Juveniles involved

William Christopher Huxel, 27, of Jim Thorpe, entered plea in two pending cases.

In the first case he pleaded to criminal solicitation - possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two counts of corruption of minors; and in the second case to one count each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and corruption of a minor.

He was arrested by state police at Lehighton on June 1, 2020, in the first case at a residence in Penn Forest Township. The second arrest occurred on Aug. 10, 2020, by Jim Thorpe police.

Police said Huxel solicited juveniles to sell marijuana for him. Police said he brought the juveniles to his home and gave them alcohol and marijuana to get them to sell the drugs.

Huxel is currently an inmate in the Northampton County prison facing other charges. His pleas were entered via video conference from that prison. Serfass accepted the pleas but deferred sentencing to a later date.

Vehicle stop

Joseph Hargett Jr., 27, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Jan. 11, 2020, by Lansford police. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

Serfass sentenced him to time-served (13 days) to one year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, render 50 hours of community service, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.

Tracey Jo Grube,

34, of Easton, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on Aug. 4, 2019, by Lehighton police following a vehicle stop.

Serfass sentenced her to time-served (nine days) to one year on the first count and six months probation on the second count, with the terms running consecutively. She was also ordered to get drug and alcohol evaluation, render a total of 75 hours of community service, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and probation.