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Two arrested on drug trafficking offenses in Hanover Township

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What are the best places to visit in Luzerne County? The survey results are in.

<p>A state appellate court upheld the lengthy prison sentence for a Wilkes-Barre man who admitted to illegally possessing a firearm he traded for heroin in 2016.</p><p>Jonathan Cole, 32, and Melanie Marie Kopeck, 30, of Bear Creek Township, were arrested by state police during an investigation of a stolen firearm from a residence on Old East End Boulevard in Bear Creek Township on Dec. 12, 2016.</p><p>During the investigation, state police alleged Cole and Kopeck gave the firearm to Robert Daniel Deleo, 23, of Pittston, for heroin at Carey Avenue and Academy Street in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>State police identified Cole and Kopeck after reviewing video from a surveillance camera near the Wilkes-Barre intersection.</p><p>After their arrests, Cole and Kopeck admitted to stealing the firearm.</p><p>In a plea agreement, Cole pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm as Luzerne County prosecutors withdrew charges of receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy to commit theft.</p><p>Judge David W. Lupas on April 23, 2018, sentenced Cole to two years, six months to five years in state prison.</p><p>Cole appealed the state prison sentence to the state Superior Court claiming he should had been sentenced to Luzerne County&#8217;s Intermediate Punishment Program, a special probationary program.</p><p>Three members of the Superior Court in a ruling issued Friday denied Cole&#8217;s appeal, stating it was within Lupas&#8217; discretion to impose a state prison sentence.</p><p>&#8220;This Court has held that the grant or denial of a defendant&#8217;s request for IPP is largely within the sound discretion of the trial court,&#8221; the appellate court ruled.</p><p>Court records say Kopeck pleaded guilty to a single count of theft and was sentenced by Lupas on Dec. 8, 2017, to one year, three months to two years, six months, which she served in state prison.</p><p>Prosecutors on Sept. 24, 2018, withdrew charges of receiving stolen property and firearms not to be carried without a license against Deleo.</p><p>However, Deleo is serving a 15-to-30 month sentence in state prison on drug trafficking charges, court records show.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Jonathan-Cole-SCI-03012019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cole </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Jonathan-Cole-SCI-03012019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Cole </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Robert-Deleo-SCI.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Deleo</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Robert-Deleo-SCI.jpg</photo1><caption1>Deleo</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Illegal firearm sentence for WB man upheld on appeal