An Ashland man returned to prison Monday, and will remain behind bars into 2014, after a Schuylkill County judge revoked his parole on a retail theft charge.
Brian Dietrick, 42, must remain in prison until Jan. 6, 2014, Judge James P. Goodman ruled. Dietrick could remain in prison until Sept. 11, 2014.
Goodman revoked Dietrick's parole after the defendant admitted violating it by failing to report to his supervising officer, moving without permission and using the drug known as bath salts.
"Do you have a problem with bath salts?" Goodman asked Dietrick.
"Yes, sir," Dietrick replied.
"If you don't get help ... you're going to get involve with these bath salts again and you're going to commit more crimes," Goodman warned the defendant.
Dietrick originally pleaded guilty on April 24 to retail theft. Goodman accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to serve three to 18 months in prison, pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, $39 restitution and a $50 bench warrant fee, perform 40 hours community service and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
State police at Frackville charged Dietrick with committing the theft on July 5, 2011.
Also in the county court, prosecutors have withdrawn criminal charges against three people.
Susan Dower, 41, of Shenandoah, had been charged with manufacture of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Shenandoah police alleged she committed those crimes on April 28, 2012, in the borough.
Stephen M. Smolar, 40, of Tamaqua, had been charged with unsworn falsification to authorities. Tamaqua police alleged Smolar was untruthful to them on Nov. 14, 2012, in the borough.
James P. Weikel Jr., 54, of Girardville, had been charged with terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Girardville police alleged he committed those crimes on Dec. 29, 2012, in the borough.
In each of the cases, President Judge William E. Baldwin signed an order allowing prosecutors to drop the charges and directing the defendant to pay the costs.
In other county court news, a Mechanicsville man is guilty of five of six charges resulting from an accident in June 2012 in Pottsville, a Schuylkill County judge ruled Tuesday.
Richard F. Crane Jr., 44, is guilty of accident involving death or personal injury, driving under suspension, careless driving, failure to stop and give information and following too closely, but not guilty of accident involving damage to attended vehicle or property, Judge James P. Goodman ruled.
"There was injury," Goodman said just before handing down his verdict. "The defendant failed to provide the necessary information."
Goodman, who presided over the one-hour nonjury trial of the case, ordered preparation of a presentence investigation but did not immediately schedule Crane's sentencing.
Pottsville police had charged Crane with leaving the scene of an accident on June 13, 2012.
"I had pain in my neck. I couldn't turn my neck," Vikki Bohr, the other driver involved in the accident, testified.
Bohr said her son, Austin L. Bohr, a passenger in her vehicle, also suffered injuries in the accident. Both she and her son were taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street for treatment, Vikki Bohr testified.
Crane testified he stopped and did not see any damage to either vehicle. He also said Vikki Bohr told him she and her son were OK.
"You didn't have any indication that there were any injuries?" Assistant Public Defender Andrea L. Thompson, Crane's lawyer, asked him.
"No," he answered.
Assistant District Attorney Debra A. Smith successfully argued that Crane admitted leaving the scene of the accident.
"He should have stayed," Smith said.
Also on Tuesday, Judge John E. Domalakes revoked the parole of Christopher L. Buck, 27, of Shenandoah, and returned him to prison until March 25, 2015, unless he can arrange to be admitted to an inpatient drug rehabilitation facility.
"The ball's in your court now," Domalakes told Buck. "Nobody's going to do it for you."
Buck admitted violating his parole by moving without permission, committing new crimes and failing a drug test.
"I have a drug problem," Buck said.
Buck pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2011, to criminal trespass, theft, criminal mischief and theft from a motor vehicle in one case and criminal trespass, possessing instrument of crime, loitering and prowling at nighttime and receiving stolen property in the other. At that time, Domalakes sentenced him to spend 70 days to 23 months in prison and pay costs, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $1,831.59 restitution.
State police at Frackville charged Buck with committing his first trespass and related offenses on Dec. 10, 2010, while Frackville borough police charged him with committing the second trespass and related offenses on Dec. 11, 2010.