The second of seven charged in connection with the operation of a crystal methamphetamine ring in Carbon and Lehigh counties who were rounded up earlier this year entered a guilty plea in Carbon County on Monday.

Donna Marie Ziegenfuss, 45, of Palmerton, entered guilty pleas to one count each of corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. In exchange for the plea the state Attorney General's office agreed to drop another count of possession with intent along with counts of possession of a controlled substance, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and criminal use of a communication facility.Judge Steven R. Serfass, who accepted the pleas, told Ziegenfuss that she faced a prison term at the time of sentencing, noting that state sentencing guidelines, in the standard range, calls for a minimum term of between nine and 18 months up to 20 years.Last week, Susan Annette Rex, 57, of West Columbus Avenue in Nesquehoning, entered guilty pleas before Serfass to one count each of corrupt organization, criminal conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. She was also told she faces a prison term at the time of sentencing.Ziegenfuss did not say anything during the proceeding except to answer "yes" or "no" to questions posed to her about her plea by Serfass.Deputy Attorney General Christie F. Bonesch said through the investigation is was learned that Ziegenfuss allowed her residence to be a distribution point for the drugs to the other defendants. Found during a search of her home was 17 grams of meth and $226 in cash, Bonesch said.According to criminal complaints filed by the AG office in support of the charges, investigators identified Edilberto Ortiz Jr., 45, 1236 W. Tilghman St., Allentown, as a main distributor who supplied six people with methamphetamine. Those people later redistributed the drugs to their customers.Officials said the activity occurred between January and March of this year.Investigators used confidential informants for controlled purchases of methamphetamine over the course of the investigation.More than four pounds of methamphetamine were seized from a residence where Ortiz was staying, investigators reported in a criminal complaint.That search also resulted in the seizure of a .32-caliber handgun, roughly $2,400 and drug paraphernalia.Searches of other residences resulted in the seizure of various quantities of methamphetamine, cash, digital scales and drug paraphernalia.Arrested with Rex, Ortiz and Ziegenfuss were Holly Ann Eckhart, 50, of Palmerton; Richard E. Moyer, 57, of Lehighton; Robert David Rex, 58, of Lansford; and Connie Serfass, 60, of Lehighton.Eckhart, Moyer and Robert Rex have pretrial conferences scheduled for Dec. 15. Connie Serfass has a pretrial conference scheduled for Jan. 10, 2017. Ortiz was scheduled to go on trial in December but the case was reset for a pretrial conference, also on Dec. 15.Serfass deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report. Ziegenfuss has been in the county prison since her arrest.