Dibert

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Blair County Prison inmate who was adamant about wanting to brush his teeth and who pleaded guilty to a charge of contraband possession was sentenced Wednesday to 10 to 23.5 months’ incarceration.

William Phoenix Dibert, 28, Claysburg, while incarcerated on April 18, 2024, convinced a corrections officer to retrieve his personal toothbrush and toothpaste for the desired task.

But in addition to noticing that the inmate’s tube had little toothpaste, the corrections officer felt “a little knot” within the tube. Subsequently, the officer was able to remove a little bag containing a brown powdery substance, with lab results showing the substance to be 2.24 grams of fluorofentanyl, a potent synthetic narcotic.

The discovery of the tainted toothpaste tube was made eight days after five inmates were transported to UPMC Altoona Hospital to be treated for overdose symptoms.

Dibert, who was scheduled Wednesday for a one-day trial with a jury that was selected last week, opted to plead guilty to the contraband possession charge, a second-degree felony, instead of allowing his jury trial to commence.

After the district attorney’s office withdrew Dibert’s additional charge of contraband delivery, Blair County Judge Jackie Bernard reviewed state sentencing guidelines and imposed the 10 to 23.5 months.

Meanwhile, Dibert has more serious charges pending in connection with the kidnapping and beating of a woman who says she was held captive for a month in early 2024.

An effort to find the woman prompted state and local law enforcement officers to secure a search warrant for Dibert’s property on Feb. 28, 2024. While the victim was located on the property, Dibert remained at large until his arrest in March 2024.

Dibert is also charged in connection with an August 2023 incident, when a woman accused him of striking her head with a rock, choking her until she lost consciousness and dragging her to a cabin from which she escaped to seek help from neighboring property owners.

State police at Hollidaysburg also charged Dibert with firearm violations as he has a prior felony conviction, which prohibits ownership and possession.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.