Criminal Justice

Easton City Council has officially adopted a change that will see possession and use of small amounts of marijuana reduced to a citation and fine as opposed to a misdemeanor crime.

Earlier Wednesday, Bethlehem Police Department said in a release that shortly before 7 a.m., it "received a courtesy notification from agents with the Department of Homeland Security that federal agents were actively searching" for the individual. The search involved the area of the 500 block of East 3rd Street, police said.

Between March 2020 and September 2023, Louis Belletieri transferred millions from an escrow account to his personal and business accounts, according to federal prosecutors.

More than a dozen volunteers on Tuesday committed their service to the community’s schoolchildren who find themselves at odds with the law for the first time.

Jason Krasley also is due to stand trial on numerous charges stemming from alleged sexual assaults in 2011 and 2015 when he served on the city’s Vice and Intelligence Unit.

Eileen Miller, whose son Paul Miller was killed in a collision by a distracted driver, on Friday spoke on a piece of legislation that bans the use of handheld devices while driving in Pennsylvania.

An Allentown woman was charged with possession of a quarter pound of synthetic opioid fentanyl, District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced Wednesday.

Authorities including District Attorney Stephen Baratta and the Palmer Township Police have confirmed a man was apprehended and charged for shooting and killing his in-laws at a 55+ community Tuesday night.

Latasha Santiago, 36, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy tocommit robbery, a first-degree felony, in the Oct. 17, 2020, shooting death of Christian Lopez-Rodriguez, 21, of Allentown.

LaTarsha Brown is accused of falsely reporting that she found a noose Jan. 10 on her desk in the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

Jason Krasley, 48, was released Thursday on unsecured $100,000 bail in each case, which means he did not have to post any money, court records show.

Johansy Suarez-Rivas was pronounced dead at a St. Luke's Hospital in 2021 from fentanyl toxicity. Both parents have now plead guilty to charges associated with the case, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Thursday.

Impaired driving is among the most persistent threats to road safety in the Lehigh Valley, according to two of the region's chief prosecutors. Lehigh County recorded about 1,750 impaired-driving cases in 2024, up almost 42% over the past five years.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, allocated based on BPD data recorded in the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System, would allow her department to expand surveillance and protect everyone using city roadways.

A Lehigh County man "targeted" 23 Lowe's stores across more than a dozen counties in Pennsylvania. Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against him Monday.

LaTarsha Brown reported finding a noose at her desk on the third floor of City Hall in January. She was charged Monday with making a false report.

Pennsylvania's Dog Laws clearly state dumping a dog is illegal. Yet every year, shelters bear witness to the unthinkable act, and much worse. When will it stop?

The investigation at this point indicates no additional danger to the public, and it appears to have been an isolated incident, according to the release.

Officials from the Transportation Security Administration visited Lehigh Valley International Airport Tuesday with a collection of simulated bombs in tow.

A Black employee reported finding a noose at her desk in City Hall on Jan. 10. Two months later, a city spokesperson confirmed the incident is still under investigation by police.

A police officer discharged his firearm in an armed confrontation with the victim, who shot himself during the encounter Saturday night in Wind Gap, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Forest Touchberry, 31, was pronounced dead Thursday at 3:29 p.m. in the emergency department of St. Luke’s Hospital, Sacred Heart Campus, according to Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio.