A Lehighton man admitted on Thursday in Carbon County court to entering a storage bin and removing tools and other items.

He was one of seven defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Franklin incident

Joshua Dylan Smith, 40, pleaded to one count of theft for an incident on Sept. 2, 2020, at the Beltzville Storage facility in Franklin Township. Township police charged that he took various tools and an antique wagon.

In another case, Smith pleaded to possession of a controlled substance - methamphetamine, for an incident on Oct. 9, 2020, also in Franklin Township.

Smith said he didn’t remember all the details of the storage bin entry because was he was using illegal substances at the time.

On the theft count, Matika placed him on probation for 18 months and ordered he make total restitution of $1,744.09, render 75 hours of community service, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample and have no contact with the two victims.

On the drug count, he was placed on probation for a year, concurrent with the theft charge, and the same conditions.

Other pleas

William John Hetherington, 29, of Weatherly, pleaded to a charge of access device fraud, as a felony 3.

He was charged by state police at Hazleton on Jan. 3, 2018, for taking the Social Security money of a Packer Township resident and using it in various locations in the township, Hazleton and Tamaqua.

He is currently an inmate in the county prison and is plea was done via video conference.

It was noted he has two pending parole/probation proceedings.

He was placed on probation for two years and ordered to make restitution of $593.98 to the victim, render 100 hours of community service when paroled, supply a DNA sample and have no contact with the victim.

Brian J. Oakes, 38, of McAdoo, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance.

He was arrested on May 22 by Weatherly police following a traffic stop along Smith Street.

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

Calvin Kocher, 33, of Laflin, Luzerne County, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance.

He was arrested by Weatherly police on Nov. 26, 2020, following a traffic stop along Second Street.

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

Michael Visco, 51, of Reeders, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on Aug. 16, 2019, by Kidder Township police along Route 903 following a vehicle stop.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service. The term runs concurrent with a sentence he is now serving.

Gabriel Michael Hines, 19, of West Hazleton, pleaded to one count of theft, as a felony 3.

He was charged by state police at Hazleton for the theft of a vehicle from a Beaver Meadows resident on Dec. 9, 2020.

He is currently an inmate in the Monroe County prison.

Matika sentenced him to serve three to 24 months in a state correctional institution, concurrent with a Monroe term he was recently sentenced. He was also ordered to render 75 hours of community service when paroled, get a mental health evaluation, supply a DNA sample and have no contact wit the victim.

Mark Marlatt Jr., 21, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of minor prohibited from operating a vehicle with alcohol. A charge of DUI was dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

He was arrested on April 26 by Franklin Township police along Indian Hill Road. A test revealed a 0.05 BAC.

Marlatt is currently an inmate in the county prison.

Matika imposed a fine of $100 and on a driving under suspension count a $200 fine.

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