HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Hollidaysburg man who made threatening phone calls to the Hollidaysburg Area School District in late 2019 rendered guilty pleas Friday in Blair County Court for a state prison sentence of 15 months to five years.

That will be followed by five years’ probation.

Javier Alberto Cantos Jr., 25, who has been in Blair County Prison since Sept. 3, will be transferred to a state prison to finish the incarceration portion of his sentence.

While Cantos will be credited for time served, his release prior to the maximum five years’ incarceration will rest with the state Department of Corrections.

Judge Elizabeth A. Doyle, who accepted the plea negotiated by the district attorney’s office and Cantos’ defense attorneys, said she hopes it offers “the programs and instructions that (Cantos) needs to benefit himself.”

Cantos had no criminal charges before November 2018 when he drove away from an Altoona dealership with a $67,925 vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase, resulting in numerous charges including theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving under the influence and reckless driving.

While out of jail on bail in November 2019, Cantos made phone calls to the school district and left voicemail messages that he would “reallocate resources” at each of the district’s five schools and set a deadline for administrators to respond.

School personnel, who became alarmed, contacted police who initially arrested someone other than Cantos based on an inaccurate identification of the caller.

In late December 2019, police arrested Cantos and filed charges that included five counts of terroristic threats and five counts of risking a catastrophe. Those were among the charges to which he rendered guilty pleas on Friday.

Cantos’ plea also addressed theft, receiving stolen property, reckless driving and related charges filed against him in a Sept. 3, 2020, arrest in Blair Township. He subsequently remained in the county prison.

When Doyle asked Cantos in court on Friday if he understood that he was pleading guilty to all charges, Cantos said yes and that he was doing so voluntarily.

In March, Cantos was scheduled for a court hearing to determine his competency to stand trial. That hearing was put on hold, pending further plea negotiations to address a mental health evaluation showing Cantos’ judgment as “extremely impaired” when making the threatening phone calls to the district.

In court Friday, Doyle acknowledged efforts made to achieve the negotiated plea.

“The court is not minimizing the behavior which was disruptive … but is accepting the recommendation,” she said.

When given an opportunity to speak in court, Cantos asked about the pending one year suspension of his driver’s license. He spoke of needing his license after getting released from prison because he has two children.