A total of eight defendants in drug-related cases entered guilty pleas Monday in Carbon County court during day long court proceedings following COVID-19 restrictions.

President Judge Roger N. Nanovic presided.

Thorpe incident

Michael Muth,

20, of Harrisburg, pleaded to one count of criminal use of a communication facility, a felony 3.

In exchange for the plea, the district attorney’s office agreed to drop two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Muth was arrested by Jim Thorpe police on March 22, 2019, along Center Street. His arrest was part of an ongoing investigation. Borough police assisted agents of the state attorney general’s office in making a controlled buy by a confidential informant.

A cellphone was used to arrange the purchase.

Muth told Nanovic that he addressed a drug addiction problem by entering the inpatient Salvation Army drug addiction problem and successfully completing it. He is still receiving counseling and attending meeting in a after care program.

Nanovic sentenced to time-served (211 days spent in the inpatient program) to one day less 24 months in prison followed by one year of probation.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, continue is counseling, and supply a DNA sample.

Other pleas

Gregory William Byle,

31, of Palmyra, Lebanon County, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. In a plea deal with the DA office, a felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped.

He was arrested on July 24, 2018, by state police when they assisted U.S. Marshals in executing an arrest warrant on Byle at a residence along Shakespeare Circle in Penn Forest Township.

Byle recently completed a state prison sentence imposed in Berks County and is on parole.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year, concurrent with the state sentence, and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and zero tolerance imposed for drug or alcohol use.

Paul Charles Walck,

31, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In a plea deal with the DA office a charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped.

He was arrested on Feb. 7 by Lansford police after officers responded to a residence along West Bertsch Street for a man threatening suicide. Walck was the person in question and was taken into custody. Found, according to the police report, was methamphetamine.

Walck said he has undergone mental health evaluation and treatment.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get both a drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and continue with his current mental health counseling.

Joel Antonio Rodriguez-Rosado,

32, of Allentown, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on July 27, 2019, by Nesquehoning police after they received a complaint about an individual on water authority property. The defendant was found on the property with a tent set up and admitted to having smoked marijuana in the tent. Police also found a oxycodone pill, for which he did not have a prescription.

Nanovic placed him on probation for 6 months and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Timothy Wayne Hottenstein,

55, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Jan. 14 when police responded to his apartment to a report of juvenile males frequently entering the apartment when they were not allowed to be there.

Hottenstein requested a presentence investigation report be prepared by the adult probation office before sentencing.

Thomas F. Moll,

46, of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on June 13, 2019, by Nesquehoning police along East Railroad Street after police responded to a disturbance complaint.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Gregory Ward,

52, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. In exchange for the plea a felony count of criminal use of a communication facility was dropped.

He was arrested on Oct. 16, 2018, by Nesquehoning police in the area of 134 E. Railroad St. The arrest, according to the police report, was part of a narcotic investigation.

Nanovic deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office prepare a presentence investigation report.

Joshua N. Frets,

34, of Coaldale, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. In a plea deal a charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped.

He was arrested on Nov. 20, 2019, along West Patterson Street where police observed him walking and knew he had an active warrant for his arrest. While being taken into custody he was found with heroin/fentanyl.

Nanovic placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get both a drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations.

Frets’s hearing was held by video from the county prison where he is an inmate on another charge.

Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs of about $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole/probation.