A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Thursday in the county court after entering guilty pleas in seven pending criminal cases.

Salvatore Canzoneri, 33, of Nesquehoning, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve a total of 30 to 60 months in a state correctional institution.

He previously entered guilty pleas in six cases to one count each of possession of a controlled substance, flight to avoid apprehension, unsworn falsification to authorities, simple assault and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Thursday he entered a guilty plea in a seventh case to five counts of criminal use of a communication device.

Nesquehoning police charged he used a cellphone to arrange for illegal drug sales at least five times during the time frame of Dec. 18, 2020, through Nov. 21, 2021.

In the other cases he was arrested on the possession of a controlled substance count on March 22, 2019, by Lehighton police along South Third Street. Police served a warrant on him, and while taking him into custody they found heroin.

He was arrested for the flight to avoid charge on Dec. 29, 2019, by Nesquehoning police. Police made a vehicle stop along East Columbus Avenue. Canzoneri was a passenger in the vehicle and fled officers, knowing they had a warrant for his arrest.

The unsworn charge stems from an incident on June 10, 2020, filed by county detectives. Canzoneri presented to probation officers letters allegedly from a drug-treatment center stating he had completed an inpatient program. The letters were forged documents.

The assault occurred on May 24 filed by county detectives for an incident at the county prison. Canzoneri admitted assaulting another inmate at the prison.

The two drug possession counts stem from an incident that occurred on July 16, 2019, filed by state police at Lehighton, for an incident along White Street in Weissport; and for an incident on July 26, 2019, filed by Nesquehoning police for an incident along East Diaz Avenue following a vehicle stop.

Court-appointed defense counsel, attorney Matthew G. Schnell, told the court all of his clients’ arrests in the cases are tied to a drug addiction problem. He said the stipulation he signed in agreeing to the guilty pleas is for him to get help in the state prison systems’ drug treatment program. However, only the state decides who gets into the program with local authorities only having the option to recommend a person for the program.

Serfass also ordered Canzoneri to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, supply a DNA sample and pay court costs of over $1,000.

Canzoneri has been in jail for over a year. He was given a total credit of 405 days with the credit per charges applied in various amounts.