A Schuylkill County man pleaded guilty in Carbon County court on Monday to three criminal charges.

He was one of six defendants in pending cases to enter a guilty plea for Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Theft incident

James Jason Neff

, 34, of Coaldale, pleaded to one count each of retail theft, loitering or prowling at night and flight to avoid apprehension.

Neff was arrested for the theft on Sept. 18, 2017, by Lansford police at the Turkey Hill Mart on Patterson Street. He stole 41 packs of cigarettes. The loitering and prowling charge occurred on Nov. 28, 2017, in the 700 block of East Patterson Street filed by Lansford police. The third incident occurred on Nov. 24, 2017, in the area of 11 W. Bertsch St., also in Lansford.

Neff also is awaiting sentencing on three other cases in which he previously entered guilty pleas. He also has pending cases in Schuylkill County, where he is currently an inmate in the county prison.

Neff has applied for placement in the state’s Intermediate Punishment program. He will be transferred to a state correctional institution to be evaluated.

Matika told him if he fails to get into the program, or is removed from it without successfully completing it, he will be brought back to Carbon for sentencing on all the cases.

Other pleas

Stewart Counterman Jr.

, 37, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count each of resisting arrest and harassment. He was arrested on Dec. 1, 2017, by Summit Hill police for an incident along West Hazard Street where police responded to a report of a female being assaulted. On scene officers determined the victim to be the defendant’s wife.

Matika sentenced him to time-served (57 days) to one year in jail and ordered he get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, attend and successfully complete an anger management course, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, render 50 hours of community service and have no contact with the victim.

On the harassment charge he was fined $100 and costs.

Joey Jahlil Smith

, 28, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of resisting arrest. He was arrested on Jan. 21 along Interstate 80 in East Side Borough by state police at Fern Ridge following a traffic stop. He gave a false name to troopers, but when they learned who he was and that there were warrants for his arrest out of Philadelphia, he struggled with the officers when then attempted to take him into custody.

Matika sentenced him to serve 17 to 37 days in jail with credit for 37 already served and paroled him.

Smith will now be turned over to Philadelphia officials on the outstanding warrants.

Walter Francis Trainor Jr.

, 54, of Kresgeville, pleaded to one count of criminal trespass. He was arrested on June 27, 2017, by Mahoning Township police for a break-in at the Dollar Tree along Route 443. Taken was $1,000 from a safe.

Trainor, who is in the Monroe County prison waiting to be transferred to a state prison after recently being sentenced to serve 18 to 36 months in that county on similar charges, was sentenced by Matika to serve 6 to 24 months in a state prison concurrent with Monroe. He was also ordered to supply a DNA sample.

It was noted the victim in the incident did not seek restitution.

Jennifer Marie Hunt

, 37, of York, pleaded to one count of retail theft. She was arrested on May 8, 2017, by Lansford police for stealing from Boyer’s Market, West Bertsch Street.

Hunt, currently an inmate in the York County prison, was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service when paroled, get a drug and alcohol evaluation, make restitution of Boyer’s for $4.50 and stay out of the store.

Joshua Peralta

, 29, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of firearms not to be carried without a license. He was arrested on Sept. 14, 2017, following a vehicle stop along Broad Street by Beaver Meadows police. He had a handgun in the vehicle.

He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to render 50 hours of community service.

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

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