A Monroe County man pleaded guilty in Carbon County court on Tuesday to a drug charge.

He was one of 11 defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Penn Forest incident

Craig Jerad Fussell, 27, of Saylorsburg, pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both ungraded misdemeanors.

In a plea deal with the district attorney’s office a felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped.

Fussell was arrested on July 15, 2019, by state police at Fern Ridge at a residence along Narragansett Trail in Penn Forest Township.

It was noted Fussell has had criminal charges in Monroe and Northampton counties.

At part of the plea deal, Fussell agreed to have $7,490 seized by troopers during the arrest forfeited to the state.

On the first count Serfass placed Fussell on probation for six months and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 25 hours of community service.

On the second count he was placed on probation for six months, consecutive to the first count, and ordered to render an additional 25 hours of community service.

Escape

Daniel Waldron, 39, of Lehighton, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases to one count each of escape and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested for escape on June 8, 2020, by Weissport police. Police on patrol observed Waldron in a park in the borough and knew there was an active warrant for his arrest.

When confronted by police he ran but was eventually taken into custody.

The drug incident occurred on Feb. 25, 2020, filed by state police at Lehighton.

Troopers were at a stationary position along Route 443 at a service station in Mahoning Township when they observed a vehicle pulling into the station and the driver was known to be under suspension.

Waldron was a passenger in the vehicle and illegal substances were found on his person. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

On the first count Serfass placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

On the second count he was placed on probation for six months, consecutive to the first count, and an additional 25 hours of community service.

Waldron is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

Other cases

Dale Ann Stevens, 60, of Weissport, pleaded in two pending cases to one count each of default in required appearance and flight to avoid apprehension.

She was arrested on the first count in June. She was serving a weekend sentence when she failed to appear on July 9 for one of the weekends. A warrant was then issued for her arrest.

The flight to avoid occurred on Aug. 6 when sheriff deputies attempted to serve the warrant on the first case. She ran from the deputies but was eventually caught.

She is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

Serfass sentenced her to time-served (46 days) to one day less 24 months in prison on both counts running concurrently.

She was also ordered to render 100 hours of community service.

Jeffrey Hosier, 53, of Weissport, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases to one count each of possession of marijuana and persistent disorderly conduct.

He was arrested on the drug count on May 11, 2020, by Weissport police. Police served a warrant at his residence and while being taken into custody, marijuana was found.

The second count stems from a March 4, 2020, incident filed by Weissport police who attempted to serve a warrant on him.

In that case he was originally charged with flight to avoid apprehension but in a plea deal the DA’s office added the conduct count to the complaint.

On the drug count he was ordered to pay a fine of $300 and on the conduct charge a fine of $2,500.

Jason Garcia, 23, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of harassment, a misdemeanor 3, and disorderly conduct, a summary.

Garcia was charged by state police at Fern Ridge on Dec. 14, 2020, after a female reported she had been assaulted by Garcia, who was her boyfriend at the time, at her residence along Tapuco Drive in Penn Forest Township.

In a plea deal with the district attorney’s office a felony 2 charge of aggravated assault, felony 3, terroristic threats count, and a misdemeanor 2, simple assault charges were dropped.

On the harassment charge he was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, attend and successfully complete an anger management course, have no contact with the victim and render 50 hours of community service.

On the conduct count he was placed on probation for a year, consecutive to the first count, and ordered to render an additional 50 hours of community service.

Steven Edward Hayes, 29, of Lewistown, Mifflin County, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested on June 20, 2020, by Jim Thorpe police for an incident in which he passed phony $5 bills at a borough business. In a plea deal with the DA’s office a felony 2 count of forgery was dropped.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and make restitution of $20.

Jeffrey Charles Rogasch, 29, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police, a felony 3, and a summary offense of driving under suspension.

He was arrested on July 20, 2020, by state police at Fern Ridge following a high-speed pursuit that began on Witman Lane in Penn Forest Township, which ended when he eventually stopped.

Sentencing was deferred so he can apply for placement in the house arrest program.

Amy Zavaglia, 48, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

She was arrested by state police at Lehighton on Oct. 4, 2020, along Stoney Mountain Road in Towamensing Township, after troopers served a felony warrant for her arrest. Methamphetamine was found on her.

Serfass placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render 50 hours of community service.

Beth Ann Hosier, 37, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

She was arrested on Nov. 15, 2020, by state police at Lehighton along Route 443 at Bankway in Lehighton, following a traffic stop.

She was a passenger in the vehicle.

She was placed on probation for a year and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and render 50 hours of community service.

Thomas John Aloia, 56, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. A felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance was dropped in a plea deal.

He was arrested on Nov. 27, 2020, by Lehighton police. Police responded to a car wash along South Fourth Street for a report of a vehicle in one of the wash bays and a man inside for an hour or more. Aloia was found along with methamphetamine.

Sentencing was deferred so he can apply for the house arrest program.

Christopher Garcia, 33, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of harassment with a charge of terroristic threats dropped in a plea deal.

He was arrested by Jim Thorpe police on Aug. 14, 2020, when police responded to a disturbance.

Police said the incident was the result of a custody matter between Garcia’s girlfriend and the father of her child.

Serfass imposed a $300 fine.

Sentencing

Russell L. Frankenfield, 54, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve one to one day less 24 months in prison on a charge of simple assault for an incident on March 17, 2018, in Franklin Township.

In exchange for the plea, another count of simple assault and charges of recklessly endangering and terroristic threats were dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

Township police were dispatched to a dispute involving Frankenfield and a female. On scene officers observed marks on the female consistent with an assault.

Serfass said the court was concerned about the nature of what happened and for the victim.

At the plea hearing Serfass noted the police report indicated a handgun was involved and questioned why the use of a deadly weapon enhancement was not being sought by the commonwealth.

At the hearing Assistant District Attorney Seth Miller, who is the prosecutor, said the commonwealth is proceeding on the case as an assault without a weapon and that the facts are that the defendant choked the victim. Serfass noted the police report indicated a handgun was part of the incident.

Frankenfield was also ordered to supply a DNA sample, have no contact with the victim, render 100 hours of community service and make restitution to the victim for medical bills totaling $1,234.10.

After the sentence was imposed, Frankenfield told his legal counsel he wanted to withdraw his plea. Serfass said the court would not address that matter until the defendant files a petition to withdraw and a hearing is scheduled.

He said because of that he would defer the start of the prison term to Nov. 19 at 9 a.m., which would give the defendant 30 days to file any petitions/motions.

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