A Jim Thorpe man entered guilty pleas in three pending criminal cases on Monday in Carbon County court.

He was one of six defendants in pending cases to enter a plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Thorpe incidents

Vincent Angelo Iuspa, 28, pleaded to one count each of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, manufacture and or delivery of a controlled substance and false identification to law enforcement.

He was arrested on the DUI charge on Oct. 30, 2020, by Jim Thorpe police following a vehicle stop. He refused to submit to testing. The drug count stems from another vehicle stop on Feb. 28, 2019, by Jim Thorpe police. In that case another DUI charge was dropped in a plea deal. The false ID occurred on July 13, 2021, when he was stopped by Jim Thorpe police and gave a false name to the officer. Police stopped him because he knew there was an active warrant for his arrest.

Sentencing was deferred so he can apply for the house arrest program.

Other pleas

Ryan L. Filer, 35, of Slatington, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In exchange for the plea, a charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped.

He was arrested on April 26, 2021, by state police at Lehighton while troopers were serving a warrant on him. Drugs were found on his person.

He was sentenced to time-served (nine days) to one year in jail and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 50 hours of community service.

Terry Billman, 57, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count each of public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and confinement of dogs, all summary offenses. He was originally charged with seven counts including simple assault.

He was fined a total of $1,100 and costs. He is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

Jessica Marie Turitto, 25, of Hazleton, pleaded to one count of receiving stolen property. In exchange for the plea a second case, involving drug counts, was withdrawn by the DA’s office.

She was arrested on April 15, 2021, by state police at Fern Ridge for her part in the theft of a catalytic converter from a van at WB Electric in Penn Forest Township. Troopers said she drove to the site while a male passenger got out of her vehicle and removed the converter. She then drove away. Surveillance video captured the incident and led to her arrest.

She was sentenced to time-served (eight days) to 24 months in prison and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, render 100 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample and make restitution of $709.61.

Ralph Thomas Laughlin, 65, of East Stroudsburg, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Feb. 15, 2020, by Lehighton police following a vehicle stop. A pipe for smoking illegal substances was found on him.

Sentencing was deferred so he can apply for the house arrest program.

Kaitlyn Michelle Youmans-Cooper, 24, of West Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded to one count of persistent disorderly conduct. She was charged for an incident on Aug. 11, 2020, filed by state police at Lehighton. The matter involved a custody dispute, it was noted.

She is currently an inmate in the state correctional institution at Muncy, Lycoming County, serving a parole violation from charges in Schuylkill County.

Serfass placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to make restitution of $1,716 to the victim, her ex-husband, for lost wages.

Sentenced

Brooke Lee Huntington, 43, of Lehighton, was placed on probation for six months on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. She previously entered a plea to the charge.

She was arrested on June 26, 2021, by state police at Lehighton. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

She was also ordered to render 25 hours of community service.

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