A Schuylkill County man pleaded guilty in Carbon County court on Tuesday to drug dealing charges and was immediately sentenced to a county prison term.

He was one of six defendants in pending drug-related cases to enter a guilty plea before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic.

Sold to CI

Joshua N. Frets, 36, of Coaldale, entered pleas in three pending cases to one count each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and simple assault.

He was arrested on the PWID charge for a sale he made of methamphetamine to a confidential informant around Sept. 26, 2019. Police arranged a second sale with Frets and the CI on Oct. 4, 2019.

He was charged with simple assault for an incident on Nov. 10, 2019, filed by Lansford police. Police responded to an area of Walnut Street for a report of two males fighting. The victim told officers Frets had assaulted him and displayed a knife in the incident. The resisting arrest and second drug charge occurred on April 18 in Lansford in the area of the Turkey Hill market. Police attempted to serve two active warrants on Frets and he fled on foot. After a short pursuit he was stopped and resisted officers taking him into custody.

Frets admitted to a drug addiction problem and claimed he sold drugs to support his own habit. He is an inmate in the county prison on the charges.

On the PWID charge, Nanovic sentenced him to serve 6 to one day less 24 months in the county prison with credit for 267 days already served meaning he will be paroled. The jail term will be followed with two years of probation. On the assault count he was sentenced to serve 6 to one day less 24 months, concurrent with the first count; and on the resisting arrest and other drug count he was sentenced to serve one to one day less 24 months in prison, concurrent with the other charges.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use and have no contact with the victim in the assault case.

Three cases

John E. McLaughlin, 53, of Coal Township, Northumberland County, pleaded in three pending cases to two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

He was arrested on the first drug count on July 19, 2016, by Nesquehoning police for an incident at the county prison. When brought to the prison illegal substances were found on him. In a plea deal with the district attorney’s office two felony 2 counts of contraband - controlled substances into the prison were dropped. The second drug arrest occurred on Aug. 26, 2018, filed by state police at Fern Ridge. The DUI occurred on Feb. 26, 2019, filed by state police at Lehighton.

McLaughlin is currently an inmate in the county prison.

On the DUI charge, Nanovic sentenced him to serve 3 to 6 months in jail, pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for a year, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use.

On the two drug counts, he was placed on probation for six months on each, concurrent with each other but consecutive to the DUI charge. All the terms run concurrent with a Bucks County sentence he is serving. He was given credit for 20 days already served.

Other pleas

Melissa Ann Allen, 41, of Frederick, Maryland, entered pleas in two pending cases to two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was arrested on Aug. 1, 2019, by state police at Fern Ridge after troopers served a warrant on her. When taken to the prison drugs were found on her. In a plea deal, a felony 2 count of contraband into prison was dropped. The second arrest occurred on Feb. 23, 2019, filed by Beltzville State Park rangers following a traffic stop at the park.

On the first count, she was sentenced to time-served (5 days) to one year in jail and on the second count to time-served (22 days) to one year. She was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and zero tolerance imposed on drug or alcohol use.

Joseph Luis Alicea, 40. of Summit Hill, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Oct. 7, 2021, by Lansford police.

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

Christopher Noel Parry, 55, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Nov. 14, 2021, by state police at Lehighton following a traffic stop. Methamphetamine was found. In a plea deal a DUI charge was dropped.

He was sentenced to serve 5 days to one year in jail, ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use.

He will begin serving the prison term at 5 p.m. on July 29.

Jose Antonio Santiago, 40, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested by state police at Lehighton on April 20, 2021, following a traffic stop. He was a passenger in the vehicle.

He was fined $50 and costs.

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