A Lehighton man has been charged after ripping cameras off the ceiling of a Carbon County sheriff’s van.

Deputy Brian Mittura of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office filed affidavit of probable cause in the case against Lance Moser:

At 2:45 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the Lehighton Borough Police Station to pick up Moser, 68, on a Carbon County Court of Common Pleas bench warrant.

Lehighton Police said that Moser was irate, combative and appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

Deputies used belly chains and leg shackles to put Moser in the back of a prisoner transportation van.

While in transit, Moser was viewed on the in-car security camera getting up in the back of the vehicle and walking around.

Deputies stopped the vehicle and told Moser “to sit down and stop walking around the back of the vehicle while it was in motion.”

As the transport continued on Route 209 south coming down the Mansion House Hill on the way to Carbon County Correctional Facility, deputies saw one of the cameras had been ripped off the ceiling and Moser was starting to bang, scream, and run back and forth in the back of the vehicle.

A lieutenant was called who told them to meet him along with other deputies in the county parking lot to transfer Moser to the squad car.

Once deputies arrived in the county lot, other deputies along with a lieutenant were waiting there to help transfer Moser to the squad car to transport him to the Carbon County Correctional Facility.

Moser faces charges of institutional vandalism; disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $20,000, 10% bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing April 6 before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.