A Carbon County man was sentenced to a county prison term on Tuesday after pleading guilty to two criminal counts for failing to show up at the jail to start a prison term.

He was one of 11 defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Default

Patrick Kelly Jr., 35, of Lansford, pleaded to two counts of default in required appearance. In November 2020, he was sentenced by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic to serve one to six months in prison after entering a guilty plea. His report date was delayed until Nov. 27, 2020. On Nov. 27, he failed to appear at the prison and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was eventually picked up on the warrant in January 2021 and served the 30 days. He is currently in the prison serving a probation/parole violation.

Matika noted Kelly has a history of not showing up for court appearances.

Kelly blamed his run-ins with the criminal justice system on a drug addiction problem, which he said he is planning to address.

Matika sentenced him to serve four to 23 months in prison on the charges, with the terms running concurrently, and ordered him to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and render 75 hours of community service when paroled.

Drug charges

David A. Messinger, 34, of Palmerton, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases to one count each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on the first count on Sept. 3, 2019, by Lehighton police as part of an ongoing drug distribution investigation by the county drug task force and local police. Police received information that Messinger was traveling to the Allentown area to purchase illegal substances and come back to Carbon to sell them. He was arrested following a traffic stop.

The paraphernalia count stems from a Sept. 30, 2020, incident filed by Lansford police for an incident at the townhouse area off Route 209.

Matika noted under state sentencing guidelines, Messinger faces a standard range prison term between 12 to 18 months at the low end on the first count.

Sentencing was deferred so the adult probation office can prepare a presentence investigation report.

Morgan Lee Delvillaggio, 24, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance - methamphetamine and a summary offense of driving under suspension. She was arrested on Feb. 14, 2021, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Rock Street in Franklin Township.

Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 50 hours of community service. On the summary offense, she was fined $200 and costs.

Other pleas

Amanda Everitt, 31, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property. In exchange for the plea, two theft counts - theft by deception and theft, failure to make required disposition, were dropped.

She was charged by Palmerton police for starting a fundraising effort without permission for a person who had passed away. Friends of the deceased notified police that Everitt had established the fundraiser without permission and allegedly collected funds.

Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to make restitution of $105.24, render 50 hours of community service and supply a DNA sample. It was noted the restitution was paid at the preliminary hearing in the case.

Scott Houser Jr., 37, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of retail theft.

He was charged by Palmerton police with stealing an Apple iPhone from the Pencor Superstore along Delaware Avenue on Aug. 13, 2021. The phone was valued at $1,010.

Matika placed Houser on probation for a year and ordered he render 50 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample and make restitution to the victim. It was noted Houser paid the $1,010 restitution at the preliminary hearing held in the case.

Alexandria Gail Zelinsky, 26, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In exchange for the plea, a charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped.

She was arrested on July 4, 2021, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop along Fireline Road in Lower Towamensing Township.

Matika noted it was her fifth drug conviction.

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

She is currently an inmate in the county prison on a probation violation charge.

Catherine Mae Leshko, 26, of Coaldale, pleaded to one count each of defiant trespass and neglect of animals.

She was arrested on Sept. 7, 2021, by Weatherly police when she was found inside a residence on Lauderburn Avenue sleeping in the home. She did not have permission to be in the residence.

On the trespass count, Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

On the summary offense, she was fined $100 and costs.

Justin McMillan, 35, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of persistent disorderly conduct. The charge was added to the original complaint with a count of simple assault dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

He was charged by Kidder Township police for an incident on Dec. 26, 2020, at the Holiday Pocono development. Police responded to a report of a disturbance and a man with a weapon.

Matika told McMillan that the incident was serious since a weapon was involved. He said things could have ended up much worse because of the weapon involved.

McMillan was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, attend and successfully complete an anger management course and render 50 hours of community service.

Neeley Husain, 39, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on April 24, 2021, by Palmerton police along Lehigh Avenue.

She was placed on probation for six months and ordered to render 25 hours of community service.

Christopher T. McDonough, 33, of Walnutport, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He was arrested on April 27, 2021, by state police at Lehighton, along Interchange Road in Towamensing Township at a regulatory checkpoint operation.

He was fined $150 and costs.

Derick Lee Hymans, 29, of Allentown, pleaded to one count each of habitual offender and a summary offense of driving without a license.

He was arrested on Jan. 3, 2019, by Palmerton police along Lafayette Avenue following a traffic stop.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service. On the summary offense he was fined $200 and costs.

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