Carbon woman sentenced on drug, theft charges
A Carbon County woman was sentenced to time served term on drug and theft charges.
She was one of four defendants in pending cases to appear before Carbon President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II on Tuesday during a daylong court session.Jewelry takenStacey Stafiniak, 22, of Lehighton, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property, as a felony three, with a theft charge dropped.She admitted taking jewelry from the home of Markel Reinheimer in Mahoning Township on Dec. 21, 2012. She then took the jewelry to a pawnshop in Lehighton and sold some of it.She said what she didn't sell she threw away.Stafiniak pleaded guilty in October 2012 to one count of possession of a controlled substance-heroin.That charge was filed by Mahoning Township police for an incident on Aug. 29, 2013, at 234 Blakeslee Blvd., where police responded to a report of a female threatening suicide. Stafiniak was that person.Defense attorney Joseph D. Perilli told Nanovic Stafiniak's case is like so many others that come before the court. He said she has a drug addiction to heroin, but also wants to address it. He said she is seeking inpatient treatment.Stafiniak told the court, "I agree 100 percent with my attorney."Nanovic said his sentence will address her drug problem.On the theft charge he sentenced her to time served (67 days) to one day less 24 months in the county prison. He said, however, she will only be paroled to an inpatient drug rehabilitation program and must successfully complete it. If she fails to complete it she must return to the county prison.She was also ordered to make restitution to the victim of the theft for $6,752.83, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance imposed on D&A use, and supply a DNA sample.On the drug charge she was placed on probation for a year concurrent with the first sentence.Pleas enteredThe following defendants entered guilty pleas.Stacy A. Kroculick, 47, of Tamaqua R.D., pleaded to one count of fraudulent insurance claim a felony three.She was charged with making a false claim for insurance following a motor vehicle accident on Dec. 12, 2013, at Fourth and North streets in Jim Thorpe.She also pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia for an incident on July 9, 2013, in the area of 1122 North St.Jim Thorpe police made a traffic stop and found drugs and paraphernalia in the vehicle. She was also driving without a license, which she also pleaded too.Several other drug counts were dropped in a plea bargain.On the fraud charge Nanovic placed her on probation for two years and ordered her to get a D&A evaluation, and supply a DNA sample.On the drug charge she was placed on probation for a year concurrent with the first count. On the suspension count she was fined $25 and costs, and on a charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana she was fined $500.Robert Windell Waters, 50, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police.He was arrested on May 16, 2013, in the area of 7605 Interchange Road in Franklin Township. Agents of the state Attorney General's office were conducting a controlled buy in which Waters was in the vehicle involved in the buy. Various drug charges were dropped in a plea bargain.Nanovic deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.It was noted because of a prior criminal record, Waters faces a standard range sentence of anywhere between three to six months in prison as a minimum.Kaylea Basile, 22, of Jim Thorpe, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases.She pleaded to one count of criminal conspiracy-theft for an incident on Nov. 17, 2012, in Franklin Township. She admitted her part in stealing jewelry and cash from Diane Everett, her grandmother. She sold the jewelry at a pawnshop in Lehighton.She also pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia for an incident on March 13, 2013, in the area of 129 South St., Jim Thorpe. Police responded to a report of a drug overdose. Police found Basile with a needle broken off in her arm. She was injecting heroin at the time. Other drug charges were dropped in a plea bargain.On the theft charge Nanovic sentenced her to serve one to 18 months in prison with credit for 34 days already spent and immediately paroled her. On the drug charge she was placed on probation for a year, consecutive to the theft charge.She was also ordered to get a D&A evaluation, and make restitution to the victim of $1,150, her share as their is a co-defendant in the case.Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs, which average about $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.