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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Hazleton man who admitted he wrote thousands of dollars in bad checks to businesses throughout the Hazleton area last year was sentenced Wednesday to two to 23 months in county prison.</p><p>Rocco Mandart, 39, of Lafayette Street, previously entered guilty pleas in 22 cases, mostly to misdemeanor counts of bad checks, theft and receiving stolen property. He must serve 10 years probation following his release, Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough ordered at his sentencing in Luzerne County Court.</p><p>Mandart must find employment within 60 days of his release to pay back nearly $9,000 in restitution to the businesses, including $4,039 to Hazleton Save-A-Lot. Other victims included the Humboldt Industrial Park, Tunnessen&#8217;s Auto Parts, Covered Wagon, Conyngham Builders, Moyer Electronics and Mandart&#8217;s mother, Kathleen Mandart.</p><p>In the latter case, Kathleen Mandart reported her son stole, forged and cashed 16 checks totalling $1,634 between February and June of last year, according to the criminal complaint. Rocco Mandart later accompanied his mother to the Hazleton Police Department where he admitted to the thefts, the complaint says.</p><p>Prosecutor Justin Richards said Kathleen Mandart, who testified on her son&#8217;s behalf Wednesday, was an unwitting victim in the case in that she was originally charged when the checks bounced. The charges were later withdrawn when it was discovered her son had forged the checks.</p><p>Rocco Mandart&#8217;s crimes, Richards said, were fueled by a drug addiction.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s another sad example of crime derived from drug addiction,&#8221; Richards said after the hearing. &#8220;We hope the defendant will work toward making his victims whole over the next decade in which he will be under court-ordered supervision.&#8221;</p><p><ins>For other local crime stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/crime" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Bad checks earn Hazleton man jail time, decade of probation