A Carbon County woman entered guilty pleas in three pending criminal cases on Monday in the county court.

She was one of six defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Three cases

Dena Betz

, 39, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count each of hindering apprehension, retail theft and driving under the influence in separate incidents. In a fourth case involving drug possession, the plea hearing was continued.

She was charged with the hindering count for an incident on Nov. 18, 2017, filed by Nesquehoning police. The incident occurred along West Garibaldi Avenue. The retail theft occurred on Oct. 24, 2017, at the Family Dollar store along East Patterson Street in Lansford. The DUI was on Oct. 6, 2018, along Second Street in Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. Betz is an inmate in the county prison.

On the DUI count Matika sentenced her to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. On the retail theft and hindering charges she was placed on probation for a year on each count running concurrent to each other but consecutive to the DUI charge.

She was also ordered to render a total of 75 hours of community service when paroled, make restitution of $38.83 to Family Dollar and stay out of the store.

Other pleas

Schana Stewart

, 30, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of tampering with evidence. She was arrested on July 9, 2018, by Lansford police in the 100 block of West Patterson St.

Matika placed her on probation for a year and ordered her to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 50 hours of community service.

Stewart is an inmate in the county prison on a probation violation petition.

Philip James Mumie II

, 30, of Weatherly, pleaded to one count of simple assault. He was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, by state police at Hazleton for an incident along Buck Mountain Road in Lausanne Township. Troopers responded to a domestic incident involving Mumie and his live-in girlfriend.

Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered him to get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations, attend and successfully complete an anger management course and render 50 hours of community service.

Anthony Thorpe

, 31, of Nesquehoning, pleaded to one count each of simple assault and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was charged by Summit Hill police for an incident on Sept. 6, 2018, with assaulting his then girlfriend and then taking her vehicle without permission.

Matika sentenced him on each count to serve one to 24 months in a state prison, with the terms running concurrent to each other and concurrent to a state prison term Thorpe is serving on drug charges.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, attend and successfully complete an anger management course, render 50 hours of community service when paroled and have no contact with the victim.

Robert Encarnacion

, 45, of Philadelphia, pleaded to one count of firearms not to be carried without a license. He was arrested on Feb. 13, 2018, following a traffic stop along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township by state police at Fern Ridge. He had a .22-caliber gun in his vehicle without a license to have it.

Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he render 50 hours of community service.

Brandon M. Coulson

, 29, of Palmerton, pleaded to one count of false identification to law enforcement with a charge of obstruction of the administration of law dropped in a plea bargain. He was arrested for an incident on March 14, 2018, by Weatherly police who responded to West Catawissa Street in Nesquehoning for an active warrant service. Weatherly police responded at the request of Nesquehoning police who were tied up on another call at the time.

Matika placed him on probation for a year and ordered he 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.