Criminal Justice

It happened a little before 7 p.m. Wednesday at Easton Avenue and Beech Street in Bethlehem.

Clement Swaby was sentenced to up to 150 years in prison in the 2020 rape of a Lehigh University student, plus subsequent break-ins and attempted sexual assaults in Easton.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Capehart denied the appeal of Patrick Palmer, who argued election staff should accept his paperwork because he paid a filing fee on time.

Patrick Palmer, an Allentown School Board director, argued in Lehigh County Court he should not be denied a spot on the primary ballot. County officials ruled he missed the March 7 filing deadline by a matter of seconds.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s nominees for attorney general and state police commissioner received unanimous approval from the Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate.

Lehigh Valley Health Network was victimized in a cybersecurity attack last month. The network said it refused to pay a ransom. Now, patient information and photos have been posted on the dark web, according to LVHN.

The force, made up of municipal, county and federal investigators, is designed to fight the sexual exploitation of children in the county, along with human trafficking more broadly.

Marc Muffley was arrested at his home in Lansford, Carbon County, on Monday night. A hearing is set for Thursday afternoon in federal court in Allentown on charges that include possessing an explosive device at an airport.

On Thursday, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin declared that a city police officer was justified in fatally shooting an armed man during a foot chase last month.

The FBI said Marc Muffley, 40, of Lansford, Carbon County, left the airport Monday after checking a bag that was to be loaded on an Allegiant flight from Allentown to Sanford, Fla.

Police were called to a South Side neighborhood just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday for a report of a shooting. All of the wounded are expected to survive, police said.

John Gehrmann, stepfather of Palmer teen Enci "Aubrey" Wu, has been charged with illegally recording phone conversations with authorities and other individuals while he was looking into the girl's disappearance.

Mayor Matt Tuerk called on the county's president judge to “issue a public and unambiguous policy” banning ICE agents from county courthouses, a move he said would “be a major step in restoring trust in government and faith in its fairness.”

Lehigh County Board of Commissioners have Ok'd a four-year, $34.6 million contract with PrimeCare Medical to serve inmates in their corrections facilities.

The hotline, created by the Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network, will serve as a tool for residents to report concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

Sunday said his office was investigating Angel Gil, 32, as a cocaine trafficker in Lehigh and Northampton counties before Wednesday’s searches.

Lehigh County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday heard from angry and concerned residents regarding the procedures they believe ICE agents are using at the county courthouse.

An unhoused man is facing multiple charges, including attempted homicide, connected to a shooting June 30 in the area of North Morris and West Allen streets in Allentown.

Video surveillance cameras will be installed at Whitehall Township parks and recreation areas in an attempt to deter vandalism.

The 24-year-old woman “exited the vehicle while it was moving after an altercation with the driver,” according to the Lehigh County coroner.

Authorities charged Treiza Habib, 63, with leaving an accident scene involving death or personal injury, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, failure to render aid, and failing to report an accident.

One motorist was fatally shot by another in a road rage case at Fifth and Hamilton streets in Allentown. When the driver came out of his car swinging a baseball bat, was he putting the other at risk of death or severe injury? The Lehigh County district attorney will decide.