A Barnesville man will not have to spend additional time behind state prison bars after admitting June 27 in Schuylkill County Court that he possessed heroin in November 2013 in Pottsville.
Nicholas J. Garulle, 24, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance.
Judge John E. Domalakes accepted Garulle's plea and, in accordance with an agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve six to 12 months in a state correctional institution. The judge made the sentence concurrent with the one Garulle already is serving.
Domalakes also sentenced Garulle pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $113 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, and perform 10 hours of community service.
Pottsville police charged Garulle with possessing heroin on Nov. 6, 2013, in the city.
Garulle is an inmate at SCI/Mercer, and Domalakes conducted the hearing by video conference.
Also on June 27, Domalakes sentenced James M. Thomas, 29, of Saint Clair, to serve six months to five years in prison.
Domalakes imposed the sentence after removing Thomas from the intermediate punishment program.
Thomas originally pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2012, to driving under the influence, with prosecutors withdrawing charges of disregarding traffic lane and careless driving. At that time, Domalakes placed Thomas in the intermediate punishment program for five years, and also sentenced him to pay costs, a $1,500 fine, a $300 SAEF payment and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street, amounts the defendant still must pay under the terms of June 27's sentence.
State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Thomas was DUI on Sept. 3, 2011.
Also in the county court, prosecutors withdrew charges June 25 against two defendants.
Cory McLaughlin, 30, of Port Carbon, had been charged with public welfare fraud. Authorities alleged he committed that crime on July 31, 2010.
Rebecca M. Wehr, 40, of Orwigsburg, had been charged with theft by deception and bad checks. Orwigsburg police alleged she committed those crimes on May 30, 2013, in the borough.
In each case, President Judge William E. Baldwin signed an order allowing prosecutors to withdraw the charges and directing the defendant to pay the costs.