Police found drugs and weapons in March 2014 in Russell C. Teter’s former Minersville residence, and those discoveries led Wednesday to Teter being sentenced in Schuylkill County Court to serve time in state prison.
Teter, 39, of Orwigsburg, must spend five to 10 years in a state correctional institution, President Judge William E. Baldwin ruled.
Baldwin also sentenced Teter to pay costs and $428 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem and to submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
Baldwin imposed the sentence, pursuant to a plea agreement between prosecutors and defendants, after Teter pleaded guilty to four counts of receiving stolen property in one case and two of possession of a controlled substance and one each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of prohibited offensive weapon, prohibited possession of offensive weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia in the other.
Prosecutors withdrew three additional counts of possession of prohibited offensive weapon.
Teter said little during Wednesday’s hearing except to indicate he understood the repercussions of his plea and that he was entering it knowingly and voluntarily.
Minersville police filed both sets of charges against Teter.
In the one case, they alleged Teter possessed four stolen guns on March 6, 2014, in his residence. The guns included a 9mm Makarov pistol, a Jennings .22-caliber stainless steel pistol, a Walther .22-caliber pistol and a Norinco Model L213 9mm pistol, police said.
Police said the guns had been stolen in October 2013 from a home in Bethel Township, Berks County.
In the other case, police said that on the same date they found the guns, they also found marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in Teter’s residence.
Furthermore, Teter cannot legally possess a firearm because he is a convicted felon, according to police.
A jury convicted Teter on June 10, 2009, of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, a felony, and possession of a controlled substance. Judge John E. Domalakes, who presided over the trial, sentenced Teter on Aug. 4, 2009, to serve 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison, pay costs, a $250 fine, $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 to submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
Schuylkill County detectives had charged Teter with possessing drugs on Oct. 29, 2007, in Minersville.
Defendant: Russell C. Teter
Age: 39
Residence: Orwigsburg, formerly of Minersville
Crimes committed: Four counts of receiving stolen property in one case and two of possession of a controlled substance and one each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of prohibited offensive weapon, prohibited possession of offensive weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia
Prison sentence: Five to 10 years in a state correctional institution