Carbon County court - DUI
Three people who previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence charges, were sentenced Monday in Carbon County court.
Terry Nicholas Cinkaj, 54, of Schuylkill Haven, was sentenced to serve 48 hours in jail followed by five months and 28 days in the county's Intermediate Punishment Program with the first 28 days on electronic monitoring. He must also pay a fine of $750, have his license suspended for a year and render 25 hours of community service.State police at Fern Ridge said a hit-and-run incident occurred at 2:31 p.m. Aug. 15, 2016, along Route 534, east of Hemlock Road in Penn Forest Township. Troopers said Cinkaj was involved in a crash with Gary Michael Wardell Jr., 21, of Lansford, and then fled the scene. He left his vehicle along Woodland Road, inside the Indian Mountain Lakes development, and was found walking on North Shore Drive covered in mud and water. Cinkaj was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was taken into custody. He refused to submit to a blood test. He was also charged with accidents involving damage to attended vehicles or property and a related traffic citation.He will begin the jail term at 5 p.m. on Aug. 25. His IPP supervision will be handled by Schuylkill County.Dennis John Godown, 60, of Saylorsburg, was placed on probation for six months and fined $300 as a first offense.He was arrested on March 17 along Delaware Avenue in Palmerton by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed a 0.13 BAC.He was also ordered to render 25 hours of community service.Hector Luis Belmis Jr., 26, of Allentown, was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000, render 25 hours of community service and one-year license suspension.He was arrested on April 29, 2015, along Bridge Street in Lehighton by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.He was previously placed in the Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked from it for violating conditions.He began the jail term immediately.Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation and follow any recommendations of their drug and alcohol evaluation.