Man was dealing drugs with child in vehicle
A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term Thursday after pleading guilty before President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II to a drug dealing charge and admitting having his young child in the vehicle with illegal drugs.
Michael Vincent Bocina, 25, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child. In another case, he pleaded to one count of false identification to law enforcement.Bocina was arrested on the drug charge on Sept. 25, 2015, along Flagstaff Road in Jim Thorpe following a vehicle stop by borough police.According to police, Bocina was involved in a previous drug sale in May and was being watched. Police also received information that Bocina and his girlfriend, Samantha Weaver, were dealing drugs in the county.Weaver also entered a plea Thursday to her part in the incident.At the stop, police found nine "bricks" of heroin in the back seat of the vehicle with Weaver.Also in the back seat was Bocina's and Weaver's then 11-month-old son. Bocina said he and Weaver have two children together.The false ID occurred on July 23, 2014, in the parking lot of the state police barracks in Towamensing Township.Bocina was in the lot while another person was being questioned in the barracks in another criminal matter. When troopers asked for identification from Bocina, he gave a false name.In May, Bocina pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and endangering the welfare of a child before Judge Steven R. Serfass.In that case Bocina was found driving under the influence with his infant son in the vehicle. He was sentenced to serve six to 23 months in the county prison.Bocina admitted to a heroin addiction problem and said he believes he can get the help he needs to beat it in the state system.Nanovic sentenced him to serve three to six years in a state prison on the drug count and one to 12 months on the endangering charge, running the terms consecutively followed by two years of probation.On the false ID count, he was placed on probation for a year concurrent with the other charges. The terms will run concurrent with the DUI sentence.He was also ordered to supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and pay court costs of about $1,000. He was given credit for three days spent in prison on the charges.Other chargesSamantha Weaver, 26, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded for her part in the Sept. 25, 2015, incident and also entered pleas in two other cases.In total, she pleaded to one count each of endangering the welfare of a child for the drug case; attempted delivery of a firearm for a person not permitted to have one; and false reports to incriminate another person.The firearm charge stems from an incident on Nov. 2, 2013, filed by state police at Lehighton.She purchased a pistol at Buck's Sporting Goods in Franklin Township and indicated on the application that the gun was for herself and not for another person.She admitted she purchased the gun for Bocina and was going to give it to him.However, Bocina never received the gun as Weaver's parents intervened and took the gun.The false ID stems from an incident on Jan. 13, 2015, in Nesquehoning.She reported money and prescription drugs were taken from her apartment and told officers she suspected a fellow employee where she worked was the one who took the items. Police later learned that incident as told by Weaver did not occur.Nanovic placed her on probation for two years total for all counts and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee, and the gun purchased is forfeited to the commonwealth.