Published April 26. 2021 02:45PM
A Palmerton man pleaded guilty on Thursday in Carbon County court in two pending cases and was immediately sentenced to a time-served term.
Zachary J. Bartenope, 22, pleaded to one count each of criminal trespass, a felony 3, and theft for an incident on March 3, 2020, in Palmerton where he was accused of entering a residence along Columbia Avenue; and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for an incident on Nov. 26, 2020, filed by state police at Lehighton. He took a vehicle of a female from Bowmanstown without permission.
Matika sentenced Bartenope on the trespass count to time-served (151 days) to 23 months in prison and on the theft count three to 23 months with credit for 90 days served and paroled. On the unauthorized use count he was placed on probation for a year. The probation term runs consecutive to the trespass and theft counts.
He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, render 50 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole/probation.
On Monday, Bartenope entered guilty pleas before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II to counts of retail theft and trespass counts at Walmart in Mahoning Township, and was placed on three years probation.
Bartenope, whose plea was entered via video from the county prison where he is an inmate, is facing more problems with the criminal justice system. It was noted he is facing legal challenges in the following counties: Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery and Monroe. He won’t be released from the county prison because at least one of the other counties has a detainer on him.