Carbon man sentenced on gun, drug charges
A Carbon County man, who was arrested in November 2020 when police seized guns and drugs in a raid of a Bowmanstown home, was sentenced to a state prison term on Monday after pleading guilty to charges filed in the case.
Gavin Lee William Kane, 21, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count each of possession of a firearm with the manufacturer number altered, a felony 2, and criminal conspiracy - possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, also a felony.
Judge Joseph J. Matika accepted the pleas and immediately sentenced Kane to serve two to four years in a state correctional institution.
Kane was one of three men arrested during a raid conducted by state police on Nov. 12, 2020. A fourth person was also charged.
The raid occurred a residence in the 700 block of Fireline Road when the state police Special Emergency Response Team assisted officers from the Lehighton barracks.
Police said a large amount of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamines and firearms were recovered during the search. They included three sawed-off shotguns, a sawed-off rifle without a serial number highly modified, a stolen handgun, two stolen rifles and a handgun with an obliterated serial number on it.
Charged along with Kane were Joshua Schlier, 25, of Lehighton, who was wanted for a simple assault domestic violence warrant; and Jesus Bracero, 24, of Palmerton, who was wanted for a summary non-traffic offense.
Kane, who has been in the county prison since his arrest, told Matika, “I accept my responsibility.”
In addition to the prison term Kane was ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample and when paroled, render 100 hours of community service, pay court costs of about $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole.
Schlier is facing 10 criminal counts for his part and has a pending suppression motion. Bracero has four counts pending and has a pretrial conference scheduled in August.