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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Phillip Smith said Wednesday it has been hard being in jail since his capture by U.S. Marshals on April 3.</p><p>He has about five more years of hardship if he is released when he reaches the minimum sentence.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge Joseph Sklarosky Jr. sentenced Smith, 43, last known address as South Main Street, Pittston, to a total of 63 months to 15 years in state prison on a variety of charges, including having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He was given credit for 247 days time served.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard,&#8221; Smith told Sklarosky about being incarcerated at the county correctional facility since his capture.</p><p>Smith was on the run for more than five weeks until he was caught by Wilkes-Barre police and U.S. Marshals at a residence on South Empire Street on April 3. He had been wanted by Pittston police on charges he sexually assaulted a teen girl in August 2017.</p><p>Court papers say Smith gave the girl a cigarette at the Pittston Tomato Festival on Aug. 20, 2017, and later met her at a garage on South Main Street where he gave her alcohol before having sex with her.</p><p>Then on Aug. 26, 2017, Smith picked up the girl at a store in Kingston and took her back to the garage where he gave her alcohol and had sex, court papers say.</p><p>Pittston police said DNA linked Smith to the girl.</p><p>Smith was sentenced on charges of statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors. He pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 6.</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Angela Sperrazza said Smith will be subjected to lifetime registration of his address, employment and vehicle ownership with state police as a Megan&#8217;s Law offender.</p><p>Smith&#8217;s attorney, Matthew L. Clemente, said his client &#8220;accepted responsibility.&#8221;</p><p>In an unrelated case, the sentence imposed by Sklarosky also includes a drunken driving offense when Smith crashed his vehicle into a utility pole on Main Street, Jenkins Township, on Jan. 7, 2018. Township police said Smith&#8217;s alcohol level was .20 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.</p><p>Sklarosky ordered Smith to pay PPL $15,000 in restitution as the utility pole had to be replaced.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_Philip-Smith2-05182018-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Smith </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_Philip-Smith2-05182018-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Smith </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Pittston man sentenced for having sex with teen girl