A Luzerne County man charged with assaulting a Carbon County corrections officer was sentenced Tuesday in Carbon County Court to 2-5 years in state prison.

Stephen Anthony Orlando, 31, of Drums, pleaded guilty to one count of assault by a prisoner stemming from an August 2021 incident.

Prosecutors said a corrections officer was opening a letter sent to the jail in front of Orlando, per protocol, when the officer discovered it contained contraband.

Orlando allegedly wrestled the letter out of the officer’s hand and, during the struggle, threw him against a table causing injury.

“At the time, I had been incarcerated and was clean,” Orlando told Common Pleas President Judge Roger Nanovic before sentencing. “When the contraband came in, my addiction took over. It was a lapse and I apologized to the officer the next day.”

The sentence handed down Tuesday will run concurrent to a 27-54 month sentence Orlando is serving out of Luzerne County.